Third Desire
by FenixPhoenix
Summary: Prequel to "Serpent's Curse". "If she is only your servant… then why don't you sell her to me?" Will Kyo finally let Yuya know his feelings for her...or not? Now re-written.
1. Sake

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo or any of its characters. I've just borrowed them for a while.

**Universe: **Post-anime. Kyo recovered his body and fought Kyoshiro, killing him in the process and returning to find Yuya.

**Author's Notes:** So I started editing this and I was surprised I had as many readers as I did, given the many grammatical errors. Seriously, I cringed more than once. Anyways, in order to keep this story in the same style as my other more recent stories, I went back and re-wrote it completely. Now, instead of it being told in an omniscient POV, the story is told via different characters' perspective. Hope this makes for a better read!

**Edited and re-written:** June of 2012.

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**In memory of my loving Grandparents: **

**Felipe Guajardo (RIP – 9/12/2006) & Isauro González (RIP – 19/12/2006)**

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"_Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal"_

_-Unknown-_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

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**Chapter 1: "Sake"**

* * *

**Shiina Yuya **cringed when Kyo called her, not by her name, but by her gender with his usual arrogance.

"Eh, woman!"

She turned to him, trying to control her rising temper and failing. "What?"

Kyo continued cleaning his blade unperturbed. Momentarily lifting his eyes, he ordered, "Go buy me some sake."

Huffing and cursing, Yuya left to do as told, knowing that he would give her no rest if she didn't obey. She'd long since give up on arguing with the jerk, especially when he requested his precious sake. She wondered, for what felt like the hundredth time, why she followed him around to begin with.

He had not been, she discovered, the one who had killed her brother and she had already given up on turning him in for the considerable bounty on his head. More importantly, why did _he_ still want her around him? He had fulfilled all of his desires: he had recovered his body and he had killed Kyoshiro Mibu. So what else was there for him to wish for? A servant…? Was that really it? Was he keeping her around because, regardless of her reluctance, she obeyed him?

She sighed. No matter what she told herself or how many times she thought about it, the truth remained the same. Fact was, she knew why _she_ followed him around… why she would always follow him around… and she hated it.

"Stupid jerk! Is he really that blind… that selfish bastard," she seethed, stepping into the first store she'd come across. It was a small, cozy-looking place.

"Well, well," came a sing song voice from somewhere behind her, "what –or rather who do we have here?"

The playfulness in the voice drove her over the edge. She turned around, ready to vent her anger on this annoying man.

"Listen, jer-" a finger placed softly across her lips hushed her.

"Such a beautiful lady should not curse," he chided, his tone light and friendly.

Yuya felt unsettled by the familiarity with which he interacted with her. She was about to step back, but the man seemed to sense this because he took her hand in his, pulling her even closer. With a smile, he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of her palm gently.

Yuya's cheeks flared in response. In the pause that followed, she studied the man with open interest. He was tall, perhaps even taller than Yukimura, and had pale skin which contrasted drastically with his long, black hair. He was wearing a plain blue gi and black hakamas, which nevertheless, seemed expensive.

Her eyes traveled to his waist. Twin katanas were strapped loosely there; their scabbards sporting shallow cuts here and there, telling her that these weapons were not just decoration. She regarded him with newfound suspicion. His pose told her he was a warrior and that, despite his polite words, his guard was up.

Yuya's body reacted automatically, muscles tensing in preparation to either fight or flee, if it came down to it.

"Tell me," his voice was as soft as silk, "what is your name?"

Yuya raised her eyes, meeting his intense blue gaze and cursed when, again, she felt herself blush. How could one look from him stir within her such clashing emotions? She was afraid and at the same time she was intrigued! She wanted to know nothing and everything about him!

"My name is Shiina Yuya," she blurted, surprising herself with the disclosure. What the hell was she thinking? She shook her head and, realizing that he was still holding her hand, she retrieved it. He was clouding her judgment! How, she was not sure, but an alarm was ringing inside her head and she would be a fool not to heed it!

"The name is just as lovely as its bearer," he said, gracing her with a disarming smile. "I am Sakaki Kenji, and it has been a pleasure meeting you."

"I haven't got the time for this," she excused crisply, making a b-line for the shelf containing the sake bottles. Not even looking for the brand Kyo favored, she took the first her hand came to rest on. She grabbed it tightly, as if her life depended on it, and brought it to the front of the shop. Ignoring Kenji's unwavering gaze, she took out her wallet and tossed some money on the table. How much? She had no idea but she knew it was more than enough. Not bothering to wait for the change, she hurried out the store and down the street.

Trying not to think about what happened, else fear would render her immobile, she made her way to the Inn. Yuya hoped she would not see the man again, for there was something about him which was 'wrong'… it was something he had made her feel…

Yuya shivered when a voice inside her breached the problem, '_Why did I wish to go with him all of a sudden?'_

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo**'s hand tightened around the hilt of the Katana across his lap. The feeling he always got when an unwelcome change was coming stirred to life. It wiggled inside of him, setting off an alarm that was ringing so loud, he could barely hear himself think.

"She has definitely taken 'too' long," Benitora pointed out, breaking the silence. "Maybe something happened to her!"

Kyo scowled, not cherishing the confirmation of this damnable feeling that was taking a hold of him.

"Calm down, servant number two!" he ordered coldly, hoping they wouldn't detect his unease. "She's probably dragging her feet. Who would possibly want to molest that ugly girl?"

Kyo closed his eyes and forced his body to relax. He could feel the group's collective gaze on him, trying to call him on his bluff. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. The last he wanted was to be tagged as weak, or worst! To have them think he was emotionally invested in a lowly servant!

Yet, much as he wanted, he could not shake off the feeling of trepidation. Yuya had indeed taken more time than usual to buy the sake. He mapped the city they were staying at in his mind. They'd passed a small shop on their way to the hotel. It had not been far. It stood no more than four or five blocks away. Kyo was about to give in to the urge to look for her, when the paper door slid open.

"Yuya-han!" Benitora jumped to his feet, relief obvious in his stupid face. He moved around her, checking for wounds that were not there. His eyes watered regardless, "I was so worried, Yuya-han! I thought you had gotten yourself in trouble!"

Kyo frowned when instead of rolling her eyes or pushing him away from her, Yuya nodded as if in agreement. What was going on? There was something off, only he couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

"You need to work on your speed because you certainly took your time," Kyo taunted drily, testing his theory.

Absent anger and voice, she handed him the bottle of sake and sat down, immersed in thoughts she wasn't sharing. Was she ignoring him? Why else would his words fail to elicit a reaction? They had never failed him before…

"Are you alright?" asked Yukimura, sitting beside her on the floor and leaning forward to better peer at her face. "You look a little pale."

Kyo was glad that someone else had noticed the strangeness in her. There was something definitely off. However, he couldn't question her openly on the matter. It would be beneath him to allow his emotions control of his words.

Yuya blinked, as if waking from a dream. "Of course," she answered quickly -too quickly for it to be true. She'd forced her tone to sound casual, but he'd caught the edge of hysteria. "I'm just tired, I guess. Nothing more… I think I'll just call it a night." With that, she stood up and left the room, allowing them no say in the matter.

His eyes followed her to the door, still trying to put his finger on what was wrong. She slid open the door and step out. Before she could disappear behind it, Kyo swallowed his pride and asked, "In what room are you staying?"

He could tell the question had caught them all by surprised, even her. Yet, for some odd reason, she didn't object or even question whether he had some perverted thought in mind.

"The room to the left," she responded, then slid the door closed.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji **rose his cup to the sky in silent salute, before bringing it to his lips and draining the hot liquid. He tilted his head to the side, feeling more than seeing his man approaching a second before he stepped out of the shadows behind him. Kenji kept his back to him, knowing that there was no need for him to visually acknowledge him. He stared at the big, bright star suspended on the sky, glowing with more brightness than her sisters.

"I want her," he told him.

"She shall be yours, Sakaki- sama," the man assured. "I will investigate who she is and what she does."

"Report to me as soon as you find her," Kenji commanded, though his tone remained gentle. "I would like to stay in the same Inn as her if possible."

"It will be done," vowed the man before melting into the shadows of the night.

"Yuya- San," he whispered into the chilly night, "you will be mine."

**To be continued…**


	2. Sleepless

"_They taught me to prey,_

_They taught me to feel_

_They taught me to love_

_And because to love is to suffer_

_I also learned to cry."_

_-_José Maria Gabriel y Galán_-_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

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**Chapter 2: "Sleepless"**

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**Shiina Yuya** tossed and turned on her futon, trying to find a position that would enable sleep. To her disappointment and subsequent irritation, she failed. With a heavy sigh, she gave up on trying to sleep, despite feeling the accumulated exhaustion of all the walking she'd done the day before. Her only consolation was that Kyo had decided to stay in the city for at least three more nights. Hopefully tomorrow sleep would claim her.

She stared at the ceiling, noticing how the paint was peeling off in more than one place.

"No wonder this place had been so cheap!" She shook her head, already bored.

At least when they were inside Mibu territory they had all slept together, so even when she couldn't sleep, she'd been able to entertain herself by studying her slumbering companions. But that was in the past. Lately, Kyo had granted her some privacy and, as a result, here she was… staring at the ceiling, alone in a dark room.

"What a weird day," she sighed, recalling what had taken place not to long ago inside the small store. Sakaki Kenji's face gazed at her from within her memories. His beautiful smile, sky blue eyes, handsome face and raven hair… they were all a flawless combination. In a peculiar way he reminded her a little of someone… of Kyoshiro, perhaps?

She frowned in self-reprisal. She wanted 'nothing' to do with that _murderer_ anymore! He was the man with the cross shaped scar and he was, therefore, the man who had slaughtered her beloved brother!

The memory of a gentle smile and she receded to her previous thoughts. Her left thumb began stroking the back of her right palm. The spot where he had planted his lips still felt warm… her own feeling of vulnerability towards that simple gesture still lingering in the surface of her skin.

When the realization of what she was thinking -or rather, feeling- finally hit her, she froze. She brought her hand up and stared guiltily at her it. She felt as if that hand wasn't hers anymore. As if, by kissing it, Kenji had somehow claimed it –_her_!

_That's ridiculous!_ She snorted, sitting up. _ I'll just take a walk and get some fresh air._

She stood up and slipped her feet into the white slippers provided by the Inn. She debated bringing her coat, but decided she wouldn't be out for too long and opted not to bring it.

_I should not go far_, she told herself, for even if they were no longer in immediate danger, there could still be someone out there who would want to harm her and she was not about to become a burden to Kyo. That was definitely the last thing she wanted or needed. She would not give him a chance to push her away.

With a determined mind -and a somewhat tensed body- she stole her way through the darkness of the room and into the crispness of the corridor outside. She padded down the empty hallway, grateful to be alone. Eventually, she reached a garden and decided this was a good a place as any for reflection.

She strolled leisurely into its heart, and stood before a fountain that was alight with floating fireflies.

"Yuya-san," she heard his gentle voice coming from somewhere behind her, and not knowing why, she froze on the spot. "What a coincidence," he added once he'd reached her side, "don't you think?"

Emerald eyes found sapphire ones. They stared at each other for what felt an eternity and, just when she thought she could take it no longer, he graced her with another one of his gentle smiles before adverting his eyes to take in the dancing lights.

She sighed inwardly. For a moment she had felt completely exposed, her soul naked to his piercing gaze... Yuya had realized, in that moment, that she was utterly helpless and at his mercy. She lowered her gaze, zeroing on his image reflected on the water. He was close. Too close for comfort. Yet, she couldn't move away. Or rather, it was as if part of her didn't want to. The thought scared her more than she was willing to admit.

"So," he said after a pause, "have you forgotten me already?"

She blushed… _but why? _Why did her heart fluttered erratically at the sound of his voice? Why was her skin coated in goose bumps? Why did her face flared? Why did her body tremble with both trepidation and excitement?

"N-no… of course not," she answered, mentally slapping herself for strutting. "Kenji-San".

Kenji leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'm relieved."

Yuya's body tensed even more but her eyes closed as if in pleasure. His voice sounded intimate, caressing her like a lover would. She felt him move away soon after, his warmth replaced by the coldness of the night. The spell was broken and she turned around, part of her afraid to find him gone. She gazed at his retreating back with absurd yearning.

"Good night, Yuya-San," he called over his shoulder, before melting into the shadows of the corridor.

Yuya stood there, panting, looking at the spot where he'd disappeared. She'd been unable to even wish him goodnight as he had done. Her tongue felt numb and heavy inside her mouth. Her strength deserted her in a rush and she crumbled boneless to her knees; her fingers stroking insistently the spot Kenji had kissed.

In the back of her mind, something whispered she'd been marked.

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi Sasuke** was on his way back to the room, after visiting the latrine, when something in the garden caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes, already reaching for his knife, just in case it was an enemy. He moved closer and noticed there was a kneeling figure there, as immobile as a statue. He felt his blood draining from his face when he recognized Yuya. He closed the distance with three wide strides, falling to his knees beside the girl he'd come to regard as a sister. She made no move to acknowledge his presence. It was as if she was in some kind of bizarre trance!

Placing a firm hand on either shoulder, he shook her. "Sis…?" he called softly, worriedly. "What are you doing? Can you hear me?"

Yuya stirred as if she'd been awakened from slumber. "Sasuke?" she looked around in disorientation. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that," he said, content for the moment to see she was back to normal. Could it be she'd fallen asleep with her eyes open?

"I…," she fell silent and he could tell she was contemplating something. After a pregnant pause, she confided, "I don't know."

"Sis…are you by any chance a sleepwalker?" Sasuke suggested, finding the new possible explanation a bit amusing considering how he had worried over her not a couple of minutes past.

"I don't… think so?" Her tone indicated she herself wasn't convinced. "Anyways, I better return to my room. I'm freezing here!"

"I'll walk you," he offered and was glad she did not refuse him. Even if this had been nothing more than a false alarm, he was still a bit shaken by how empty her eyes had looked. Sasuke was not going to take any chances. Better safe than sorry, wasn't that what they said?

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi Sasuke **woke when he heard Kyo's voice ringing loud, clear and hostile.

"Who are you?"

He opened one eye, curious to know who he was so curtly addressing. A raven haired man was standing just outside their door. Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped inside with a confident stride. He was either very stupid or very brave to so blatantly ignore Kyo's cold stare. Sasuke's intrigue doubled.

The stranger made his way to where Kyo was sitting. He sat on his knees, samurai style, placing his two katanas on the floor beside him. Sasuke noticed how the blades were not fully secured onto their scabbards. He had no doubts the man could draw them in a blink if given cause.

Kyo, who'd remained put the entire time, merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow. If he was annoyed or worried, he hid it well.

"What is Yuya-San to you… Onime no Kyo?" he asked simply, gently even.

Sasuke jerked up. Benitora, who had been sleeping, was now wide awake. Yukimura sat up and openly stared at both men with lips quirked in silent amusement. Akira, who was the nearest to Kyo, tilted his head to the side in interest. And Kyo…? Kyo's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, suggesting that the question might end up being answered with blood.

**To be continued…**


	3. Servant

"_The most difficult thing to explain in life is the simplest truth called LOVE."_

_-Ramanthan Srinivanson_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

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**Chapter 3: "Servant"**

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**Shinna** **Yuya**_ stood on a hill beside a beautiful Sakura tree. She was wearing a white kimono with pale blue trimmed edges. The golden locks that were usually tied were loosened, so that the wind played with her hair while sunlight bathed her with a golden glow tenderly. _

_It was all so beautiful, all so peaceful. Yet, she was neither happy nor at rest. Yuya was extremely sad. A feeling of longing tugged hard at her heat -as if wanting her to acknowledge that something was missing and that because of it, she could never be truly happy._

_Out of nowhere, a child materialized beside her. His warm, soft hand reached for her hand. He held onto it as if he needed her to notice that he would always be there by her side. She lowered her gaze to take him in, but he had a blur instead of a face. So that there, holding her hand, stood what was supposed to be a human. There, by her side, stood a toddler without a face._

_Yuya knelt in front of the kid, feelings thrown into a whirlwind inside her body. Her heart was torn over a decision she could not make. She wanted to take off in two opposite directions. Yuya wanted to smile at the boy and embrace him. Protect him against everything and everyone and never let him go. But she also wanted –with equal force- to slap him and cry. She wanted to run away from him and everyone and everything. To run until her feet ached with pain and her muscles stiffened with the effort to escape something which she couldn't… a place she knew she was bound to return every single time…_

Yuya's eyes fluttered opened. Exhausted, she sat on the futon of the small room as the first rays of sunlight welcomed her through the partially opened window. Her breathing was labored, her heart was racing. She took a moment to try to figure out what was happening; to identify and name the feeling gripping her heart.

A hot, fat tear streamed down her pink-shade cheek. Her right hand instinctively shoved the watery substance away, and then she couldn't help but look at her fingers in confusion.

_Why_ _am I crying for? There is nothing wrong… it was just a dream_, she told herself, trying to shake the remembrance of the feelings out of her heart and the picture of the faceless human out of her mind.

She stood up with a ghost of urgency. In seconds, she had changed back into her pink yukata. Her hands searched aimlessly through her stuff for the ribbon she always wore, but it was missing. She decided to forget it for now, else something else happened and she found herself falling into that frightening world again. With fear still clutching her heart, she hurried out the room, her hair flowing freely behind her.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo's** crimson eyes narrowed dangerously at the man before him. Who did he think he was? More importantly, who did he think he was addressing?

"That is none of your business," he answered coolly, keeping his rage at bay.

"I see." There was a deep exhalation before Kenji continued, "So you do not know what she is to you, yet."

Kyo'sdislike for this intruder doubled upon hearing those words. It was mostly the tone that bothered him. It was as if this man knew everything while Kyo knew nothing. Instinctively, the grip on his Muramasa tightened. With one swift motion he freed the blade and brought the sharp tip to rest on Kenji's neck. One cut and the man would drown in a pool of his own blood.

Yet, the man did not even flinch. Kyo was aware that he could have easily counterattacked with his own weapons and wondered at the reason for serving himself –his _life_ on a silver platter.

The answer came soon after in the shape of four black clothed figures. They'd burst into the room a second after Kyo's attack. He could tell that, unlike Kenji, they were ready and willing to fight. Kyo welcomed their hostility with a sadistic smile. This he understood. Bloodlust was his area of expertise. Yet, Kenji raised a hand and his men froze on their spots. As one, they knelt down around their smiling leader, passively waiting for further instructions.

Kyo focused his entire attention back onto the source of his problems. He knew he could easily erase his detestable smile by just pushing his sword -thrusting it into the man's neck so that his face would be marked with an expression of pure agony instead. But this irritating pest was not worthy of dying by Kyo's hand. More than that, to harm him further would perhaps give the impression that he'd been affected by his words. Which wasn't the case, obviously! Kyo couldn't care less about Kenji's question or the answer being sought. He was simply not in the mood to entertain unwelcomed guests.

In the pause that followed, nobody dared move. In a moment of clarity, Kyo realized that the answer to this man's question was quite easy. More confident now that he could reel the situation back under his control, he smirked.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna** **Yuya** had no idea what was happening. All she knew was that, as she'd been about to open the door, she'd heard Kenji asking Kyo something that froze her in place. She was still there, standing just outside, trying to figure out why she couldn't move, when four unidentified figures had rapidly made their way inside, not even bothered by her presence.

After that the temptation to just step inside and ask what was happening had tripled. Yet still she hadn't. _Curiosity_, it was the biggest cause of her hesitation. She yearned to know who the _she_ they'd mention referred to. It was curiosity and something else that rendered her immobile… something she was not ready to inspect just yet.

'_So you do not know what she is to you, yet.'_

Kenji's last words echoed inside her head. _She_. Who was this _she_? Could they be referring to Sakuya? To herself maybe? What was Sakaki Kenji even doing here, talking to none other than Kyo? Most importantly, why had Kyo lost his temper so easily?

Granted, she knew that whenever Sakuya's name was spoken in his presence he could hardly contain or hide his irritation. _She_ somehow drove him to an edge, and so they had all learned to avoid using the name when possible.

Was she, Yuya, delusional then? Because somehow she knew… there was no way of explaining how or why. Instead there was a simple intuition, so to speak, that told her they where referring to her -to Yuya.

But if that was the case, then how was it possible for Kyo to not know what she was to him? Maybe, just maybe she might mean something more to him? Could it be? Could he possibly…! She dared not even think the word. Instead, she focused on waiting like everyone else, for an answer that seemed eternal in coming. She found herself holding her breath, hoping he would say something... anything.

"She is my servant," Kyo answered, his tone indifferent.

Yuya closed her eyes and brought a hand up to her chest. Kyo. Stupid, selfish, arrogant Kyo. How he'd shattered her hopes with those four words! There was nothing there for her. There was no place in his heart for her... and perhaps there never would be. There had only been one girl who he'd cared about and it had not been her. And it didn't matter how hard she tried, she could never be her or even remotely like her.

Yuya was just _her_… Shiina Yuya, a once proud bounty hunter who had suddenly become a mere servant to the samurai she had sought to turn in for the price on his head. The same man she had inevitably fallen madly in love with…

She felt the hot, all too familiar ache dwelling inside her eyes. Her sight began to blur with unshed tears. She hated the feeling of loss. She hated the feeling of despair. Above all, she hated the feeling of… heartbreak?

However, a small yet strong light flickered at the end of the dark tunnel that had become her life when she heard him end his statement.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo**'s smirked stayed in place as he disclosed what Yuya was to him, "She is my servant." There, it was a simple but true statement that surmised more or less what the girl was to him, right?

Kenji nodded, almost as if he'd been waiting for just those words. Kyo hated his _I-knew-it_ look and the amused glint that lighted those detestable blue eyes. He wanted to gouge those eyes out. They were too much like Kyoshiro's for his taste and too much like his own for comfort.

Kyo leaned forward slightly, his humor vanishing. He glared at the man before him and warned, "So stay away from 'my' property."

Kyo sheathed his Muramasa just as Yuya walked inside. Her lips curved into a warm smile which, odd as it was, put him somewhat at ease. It was as if her mere presence had dragged him back from the edge into more solid and comfortable ground.

For a moment, he forgot they were not alone in the room. He forgot that there was someone who had just, seconds ago, pissed him off. He forgot that there were still four ninjas waiting for the order to attack. All that existed was her, until she finally spoke and broke him out of her spell.

"Good morning, Kyo."

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya **smiled at the scowling man. It was in few occasions she'd seen Kyo so tensed and angry, in the verge of transforming into a killing machine. To think that he'd been pushed this far because of her… it was something, wasn't it?

His blood red eyes locked with her and, suddenly, almost as if by magic, she saw him relax, the hardness around his eyes softening slightly. If she hadn't known him as much as she did, she wouldn't have noticed it. But she did and she had! Possessiveness towards her was better than nothing.

"Good morning, Kyo," she greeted amicably.

Granted, his answer to Kenji's question hadn't exactly been the one she'd wished for. Being called property was no better than being called a servant. Yet, it was at least something, at least a start. Maybe even an opportunity for something else...perhaps?

**To be continued…**


	4. Following

"_The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire."_

_-Tielhard Chardin_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 4: "Following"**

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**Shinna Yuya**'s eyes darted from Kyo's to the man kneeling in the middle of the room.

"Good morning, Yuya-san," greeted Kenji heartily.

"Morning, Kenji-san," she responded a little less enthusiastically. Automatically, one hand shot towards the other and before she knew it, she began to rub the spot he had kissed not too long ago.

**Onime no Kyo **didn't like this. There was something in the whole situation that didn't seem right. He didn't know if it was the way his servant was looking at the pest or the fact that her eyes had left his so quickly and bored into Kenji's for so long.

"I'll go for a walk," he announced curtly, maintaining his indifferent façade professionally. Glaring at Kenji, he added, "I do not want to see you here when I come back."

"Don't worry, Onime no Kyo, you will not find me here," Kenji assured politely.

Satisfied, Kyo made his way to the door, his arm brushing against the static figure of Yuya. He dared not even look down at her. He was afr—no! He wasn't afraid. He was uninterested! Yes, that's the word! He didn't care about her or what he would find in her eyes. Probably weakness, anyways!

The grip on his sword tightened. He wished his hands were around Kenji's neck instead. Kyo grabbed the shoji door and slid it open. He hesitated for a second, wondering if she would follow. He told himself that she would. He reminded himself that she always did. Yet, still he was unsure. He fought the unreasonable impulse to just command her to follow him, as if he somehow doubted her loyalty.

What he felt… What he had felt at that moment when Yuya and Kenji were staring at each other was _what_? It was a threat mixed with some sort of fear of losing her. But could she really leave him? Would she dare…?

His life was a bloody comedy. The irony of his baseless fears and doubts did not elude him. Yuya had followed him even when he had threatened to kill her. She had continued to journey with him despite the danger surrounding him. She had remained with him even after she had seen the cross shaped scar on Kyoshiro's back. She had never wavered in her loyalty towards him even when Shinrei had planted the water dragon inside her body, shortening her life to mere days.

Yet, this time _he_ was the one that wanted her to stay. He was the one that felt, deep, deep inside a tiny flame of fear at the thought of not seeing her again -at the thought of losing her and watching her back as this time _she_ was the one that walked away.

It was ridiculous! But it was true! And he hated it. He hated this change that had come and found him unprepared. This change he could not fight or ignore anymore! He hated it all!

_Would you dare leave me, woman?_

**Shinna Yuya** woke from her trance when she felt Kyo brushing past her. She watched as he continued towards the door, ignoring her completely, as if she wasn't even standing there. Much as his lack of tactfulness irritated her, she could not simply let him go on his own. What if he left her?

She couldn't fight the transformation her feelings had undergone. She was in too deep and so Yuya felt compelled to follow him… and afraid to stay.

"Kyo, wait!" she called, almost trotting to catch up as he step out.

**Onime no Kyo** relaxed when he heard her. All doubts were swiftly swept away by her presence beside him.

"Who told you to come with me, woman?" he snapped, unable to restrain himself. He was trying to bring back some semblance of normality. By angering her, he was hoping things would go back to the way they were. Back when he didn't care whether she left or stayed.

It was an illusion, of course. He was aware that the change had taken place and that there was nothing he could do about it, but adapt. His irritation returned once he'd accepted the fact that his dependence of her was increasing and that –worst! It would continue to do so with each passing day.

"Why can't you just be thankful for my company, you stupid jerk!" she shot back, furious.

Kyo was content to share his irritation. He would have continued their banter, but he knew that he could drive her away if not careful. So he kept silent as they continued treading through the busy streets. Unfortunately, Kyo began to notice how a good number of men would stare at his property openly, their eyes leering silently. He had to fight the urge to kill them all for their boldness. How dare they ogle 'his' servant that way! How dare they demonstrate their lust for 'his' property!

"Kyo?" Yuya sounded concerned. Kyo wondered if she could feel his tension. Somehow the events of today had drove him to an edge and he felt his usual control slipping away easier than it would normally do.

**Shinna Yuya **felt his eyes boring into hers, rendering her speechless. She tried to hold her ground in this staring competition, but she couldn't. She diverted her gaze, looking at anything but him. It had been too much. His eyes were too deep, and she knew that if she had kept eye contact for more time she would lose herself in that cherry color. And, naturally, she did not want that… would she?

They kept on walking. Their destination, apparently, lay on the outskirts of the village. Yuya's mind was spinning with many thoughts, the main one concerning the fact that they were _leaving_ the village!

They couldn't just leave everyone behind and, even if they did, then what about their stuff? She had forgotten to grab her weapon. Not that she really needed it since Kyo was enough to defend them, but she did not have any money with her and she was sure neither did he.

_Not that he cares about money in the first place_, she reminded herself.

Yuya chanced a look at her companion and, just when she was about to ask where they were heading, he stopped.

"I'll rest," he announced and promptly lowered himself to the grassy floor. He leaned back against a Sakura tree in full bloom with Muramasa lying across his lap. He closed his eyes immediately after his two-word statement, leaving her looking at him in befuddlement.

Yuya was tempted to go and leave him to himself. She hadn't considered wasting the entire day sitting under a tree while Kyo slept. Yet, against every sound reason to walk back to the Inn, she stayed.

She sighed. So many times Yuya had had the opportunity to just leave him, and still, no matter how hard she tried, she always ended up by his side. She wondered if that would ever change. Could it be that this _thing_ she felt towards him was nothing but a crush? What did she know about love, anyways?

"Why did I follow you in the first place?" she murmured, sitting beside him and staring at the horizon before her. At least, the view was marvelous. She could see nature as it truly was, for the village was on the opposite direction, so that before her laid the huge mountains in the distance, the rising sun in the sky and the ocean of grass rocking back and forth.

Déjà vu. The situation seemed eerily familiar. Yuya was certain she had never in her life stepped onto this hill. She also could not recall visiting the village they were staying in during the past… so then why?

"Stop doing that," he snapped.

_Was he not asleep?_

"Doing what?" she asked between curiosity and aggravation. How was it that she managed to bother him even in his sleep! She turned to look at him when he didn't answer right away. His eyes were still closed and for a second she wondered if he'd spoken at all.

"That thing you've been doing lately," he answered curtly.

His response –not surprisingly- made absolutely no sense. Kyo usually did this… give incomplete answers that only led to more questions that would eventually baffle their receiver, if possible, even more.

"More information could be useful," she suggested sarcastically.

"Stroking that spot on your hand," he opened one eye and pointed at the back of her right palm, which she unconsciously had been caressing with her thumb.

"I don't know what you are talking about," she denied, even though she knew he would not buy it. She had, after all, been doing that quite often lately and -now that he had noticed it- she couldn't help but wonder about it herself.

"Sasuke should take a look at it," he suggested, closing his eye again.

"Why? There is nothing wrong-" she trailed off when she noticed something strange on the back of her palm. A red spot had appeared contrasting drastically with her pale skin.

After some time in silence, she scanned her surroundings reflectively. It seemed to her that Kyo had finally fallen into a deep slumber for he had stopped moving and his breathing had become soft and even.

Yuya sighed and stood up to stretch. Her legs had begun to ache. It was as if ants had decided to settle under her skin and were biting across their length. A strange and yet familiar feeling crept back into her heart a moment later. A gust of wind played with her golden locks and the mixture of feelings; the longing, the happiness, and the distress she had felt on her dream -a handful of hours before- were back again with full force.

Almost immediately, heat rushed to her face, coloring her cheeks. Her eyes began to ache, welling up with unshed tears.

"Kyo," it was meant to come out as a whisper but instead it was strained by a leaking sob.

**Onime no Kyo's **eyes opened at the sound of Yuya's voice. His heart was rising, fear showing its ugly head. The only other time he had heard her like this was when she had been on the brink of losing her life to Shinrei's dragon.

His eyes widened when she started shaking. It was as if she was having a convulsion! Just as quick as it started, it ended. Kyo sprang into action. He caught her before her head could hit the ground and lowered her gently. He knelt beside her unconscious form, checking her body for the injury that could've caused her collapse. Yet, the only unnatural symptoms were the rising fever and the bright spot on her hand. He assumed the latter was the cause of everything and he vowed he would find the one responsible for what had happened…And as soon as he did, that person would pay…

**To be continued…**


	5. Restlessness

"_Love is as much of an object as an obsession, everybody wants it, everybody seeks it, but few ever achieve it, those who do will cherish it, be lost in it, and among all, never... ever forget it." _

_-Curtis Judalet-_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 5: "Restlessness"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo** returned to the inn, an unconscious and feverish Yuya riding on his back. He noticed the door to his room opened as he was passing by. Yukimura and the rest of his mismatched group stared at him, millions of questions in their eyes. Kyo glared but said nothing. Not losing a stride, he continued onwards towards the next room, his murderous aura revealing that his calmness was naught but a mask.

Some of the men must have been about to follow, because Kyo heard Yukimura suggesting, "Let's wait for him here." Sanada's voice lacked its usual cheer and Kyo knew he'd failed to fake nonchalance.

"What could have happened?" Benitora's voice traveled through the thin wall, his worry almost rivaling Kyo's.

Kyo ignored them all for now. Slowly, he maneuvered Yuya off of his back. He lowered her onto the futon, noticing how lightweight she was, despite all the times he'd called her fat. He scanned her room minutely, searching for whatever had caused her current state. Unfortunately or fortunately, he had yet to decide, nothing was amiss.

He growled in frustration and combed his hair back with flexed fingers. How could this have happened to one of _his_ servants? His hands fisted and he fought the urge to break something. He cursed under his breath. He shouldn't be this restless! He shouldn't be this upset and that was the heart of the problem, wasn't it? Yuya's condition shouldn't bother him as much as it did. She was only his servant! She was a person who could be easily replaced; a person who shouldn't be looked after. On the contrary, _she_ should be the one tending to his every need!

"How dare you get sick on me," he hissed, leaning over her form -his mouth brushing against her ear. "How dare you get sick without my permission, woman!"

His hand moved to the hilt of his sword. He pulled the blade free and brought its shiny edge to lie across her neck, barely touching it.

"I should end it all right now," he growled. He was aware of how crazy he sounded, of how stupid he was acting. His anger was not directed at her and he knew it. Yet, she wasn't a passive bystander either! She was the cause of his flaming rage. The problem was that he didn't -he _couldn't_ hate her. All he could do, instead, was be furious at himself!

Kyo chided himself for growing complacent. He blamed himself for allowing someone to get so close to him. He should have known better! More than that, he hated the realization that he hadn't been able to get rid of her -or at the very _least_ protect her. To top it all up, he hadn't paid attention to what was happening and, therefore, he had let something like this take place right below his very nose!

Though this was partly his fault, there was only one person who he would hold responsible for what had happened. The same person he now regretted not killing when he had the chance.

"It is not too late," he whispered, clenching and unclenching his fingers.

Mind made up, he was about to stand up, when a warm touch stopped him. His heart skipped a beat and jumped all the way to his throat. Her hand was on his arm, gripping him weakly.

"Kyo," she called in a voice barely above a whisper, "help me."

Damn it! How it hurt to hear her voice as low and weak as this! How he missed -even if he would always deny it- her loud complains and reprimands. Her eyes so full of life where now lost under closed eyelids, and he knew that if he looked at them right now, he wouldn't like what he would find there. Or, rather, what he wouldn't find.

"I'll come back," he promised her, pulling her hand away more gently than he'd intended. "Just wait, damn it!"

Kyo left the room shortly after. Damn that woman! Her fragile plea had just changed his priorities big time. He made his way out the room, closing it behind him. He stripped his face of all emotions and then proceeded to the next room, where he knew Yukimura and the rest were waiting for an explanation.

"What happened?" Yukimura asked as soon as Kyo had stepped inside.

"Yuya is sick," he answered, his eyes jumping from one person to the other, "but I believe that our morning visitor may have had something to do with it."

"You mean that Sakaki guy?" Sasuke's eyes become slits. At least Kyo wasn't the only one harboring suspicions.

"What makes you think he's the one responsible?" Benitora's voice suggested he might be skeptical. Kyo fought the urge to punch him.

"A mark on my servant's hand," Kyo informed drily. "It wasn't there last night or the days prior to coming here."

"The result of a spell perhaps…?" Akira joined in, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"That's what you'll find out," Kyo's told Yukimura. It wasn't a question. Kyo was unwilling to leave this task to anyone else. If there was someone astute enough to get something done efficiently, it was Yukimura.

"I'm surprised, Kyo," Yukimura's lips quirked with clumsily concealed amusement, "I would've thought you would want to take care of this part."

"I've something else I have to do," Kyo shrugged, his eyes warning against further questions in that regard.

"What should _we_ do?" Benitora pointed at himself and then at the silent figure of Akira, who had yet to move an inch.

"Akira will take care of the woman," Kyo decided in a tone that left no room for arguments. "Servant number 2, you'll follow me."

With that the group split, each to accomplish the task Kyo had given them. God helped whoever failed him.

**-o0o-**

**Benitora **followed Kyo into the fourth store they'd come across. It had herbs and other ingredients displayed on the front and it had been that which had prompted Kyo to march inside.

"What are we looking for?" he asked, scrunching his nose at the smells that had laid siege to his nose. They weren't all pleasant. Some were even making him a bit woozy, so that he ended up walking like a drunkard.

When silence was his only reply, Benitora turned to look at Kyo. It drew on him –as he inspected his tight expression closely- that he was not the only one feeling restless.

With a frown and clenched jaw, Kyo moved through the store. He kept grabbing different herbs; smelling, touching and inspecting each container in search of something. Benitora wanted to help but didn't know where to start. This wasn't his area of expertise.

So he followed his leader, trying to not think about how pale and lifeless Yuya had looked. Every item Kyo smelled something, Benitora did as well. He grabbed a plant after Kyo had dropped it back on its box. One whiff had him coughing and gagging.

"What are you doing? Come here!" Kyo snapped.

"Sorry!" Benitora hurried towards him, almost running over an old lady in the process.

"Pay for this," he ordered, handing him a list of the ingredients he'd selected as well as the amounts.

Benitora frowned as he tried to read the paper. Kyo was in dire need of tutoring. If he didn't know any better, he would think the man had been joking. He was just about to ask what one line said, only to notice he was alone.

"So I'm not the only one worried, huh?" he muttered with a strained smile, massaging the back of his neck. _Yuya-han, please be alright._

**-o0o-**

**Sanada Yukimura **stood up, gazing at empty garden that lay across the hallway Kyo had disappeared into.

"Sasuke. Saizo," he called.

This caused the former to walk towards him while the latter jumped out of the branches of a nearby tree. Both ninjas knelt in front him, awaiting his instructions.

"Sasuke, if I am not mistaken, Sakaki Kenji is also staying in this Inn. Find his room and look for anything that can gives us a clue as to who he is or what he has done to Yuya-san," he instructed.

Sasuke nodded in understanding before he rushed down the corridor, disappearing around the corner.

"Saizo, gather as much information about this man as possible. Ask around town. He seems to be known by many, so I do not think it will be a difficult task."

"Understood, Yukimura-sama!" Saizo bowed and left soon after.

"Sakaki Kenji," Yukimura murmured into the fading afternoon, crossing his arms thoughtfully, "why does your name sound so familiar.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo **stopped. His danger sensor was going haywire, alerting him to several hostile presences nearby.

"Onime no Kyo, the slayer of a thousand men," he heard a husky voice coming from somewhere up ahead.

Kyo's right hand came to rest on the hilt of his 'muramasa' in warning. He scanned the area around him in search of the owner of the voice. Above, the sun began to disappear behind a mountain, giving darkness a perfect chance to help his enemies.

_I have no time for this_, he thought frustrated. He clutched the small paper bag with the medical ingredients with fierce determination. This was not good. He was aware that he needed to get to the Inn and prepare the medicine before something else happened. The fact that, while he was losing his time here, Yukimura could be on his way to fight _his_ opponent, only served to increase his fury.

Kyo deliberated for a moment about what to do. Multiple presences were by now gathering around him, he could feel them more than see them. Kyo cracked his neck. They'd taken the decision out of his hands. There was no other choice. He would have to fight them and end it all.

He moved the paper bag from his hand to his chest and tucked it between the folds of his black kimono. His concern wasn't whether he could beat them, but whether he could do it fast enough to keep Yuya's condition from worsening.

"I would never have thought that I would find you in such a peaceful place," came another voice. It was a man's, yet it held a tingle of unmistakable femininity. The low-spoken statement was followed by various chuckles that seemed to come from all around him.

"Aim for his head," said the first voice mockingly.

"No," interrupted yet another voice; this one grave and mysterious. "Aim for his heart… It is a small target, but I believe it will hurt him more."

More snickers, this accompanied by the sound of steel clashing against steel in a rhythmic war symphony. They were preparing to attack, but Kyo was more than ready. In fact, he was eager to draw some blood.

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi Sasuke** glided through the Inn, careful to keep himself concealed within the shadows. He had found Kenji's room -and although it seemed to be currently empty- he resolved to play it safe and move with caution.

He stopped when he reached the door to his room and fell to a knee. Golden eyes skimmed the area around him in search for any hostile presence. He found none.

With nimble fingers, he picked the lock. The click indicating his success came soon after. He allowed himself a smile of triumph, before pulling the door open just enough to enable him to slip inside. On hands and knees, he treaded the wooden panes of both floor and walls, careful not to set up a trap.

"There is nothing there," he heard a feminine voice state from the opposite side of the room.

His spun around with sword out and ready. "Who are you?" he enquired, trying to make out something from among the darkness that lay ahead. He couldn't.

"A servant," she replied. Sasuke cursed. She sounded closer than before -too close. "_His_ servant."

He jumped away just in time to avoid the sharp blade of a dagger that would have painted a bloody smile on his neck if he had hesitated a second longer.

"Are you scared?" she taunted playfully.

He smirked, "In your dreams."

Sparks followed the collision of blade against blade, a symphony of war ringing through the entire room. Nobody was ready to give any ground. Sasuke had a mission, and he would be damned if he didn't accomplish it.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** stopped in the garden. He raised his eyes towards the darkened sky. The moon sparked, full and bright amidst the twinkling stars. Its usual color was replaced by a ruby shade that draped the garden with an ominous glow.

"A red moon," he stated, reassuming his night walk. "Blood will be shed tonight."

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Story's Notes: **Kenji's last dialogue came from "The Lord of the Rings," in which Legolas points out, "A red moon… blood will be shed tonight."


	6. Unexpected

"_You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is until you have lost it."_

_-Anonymous_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 6: "Unexpected"**

* * *

Yuya stood atop an all too familiar hill beside a blooming Sakura tree. Looking down at herself, she noted that her body was adorned by the white kimono again and her golden locks were loosened.

The feeling of halcyon within the atmosphere was still present. Yet, there was something different this time. The feeling of longing and the sadness that had accompanied it on her last dreams were weaker. Granted, they were still there… as if the voice which told her there was something missing in her seemingly perfect life had been replaced by a mere whisper in the back of her head.

"_Keep your pace up, servant number one!" _

Kyo's voice broke the silence, his words echoing all around. It was as if she was standing inside a small, enclosed space with invisible walls.

"Stupid jerk!" she screamed, unable to contain the anger at being called his servant. Was that all he thought of her? She was still a bounty hunter, one of the best at that… or was she?

"_Oh, you haven't developed any curves yet?"_

She remembered hearing that before. It was when she had first met him. When he had saved her. When he had felt her…

Yuya shook her head furiously. Blood rushed to her face, coloring her cheeks a deep red. She could hardly stand the heat of the memory. It was too vivid. Too deep. It was etched inside her soul in such a way that she was certain she would never be able to forget it.

"_Eh, woman, go buy me some sake."_

His orders. His sake. Those were things that composed her daily life with Kyo.

"_You are a slow girl."_

Servant. Woman. Girl. Never Yuya… Who was she?

"_In what room are you staying?"_

Was he worried? But worried about who? Her as a servant? As a woman? As a friend? Or was he only emphasizing his control over her? The fact that he should know everything she did and everywhere she stayed.

_Who am I?_

**-o0o-**

**Onime** **no** **Kyo** saw three men walking out of the refuge of darkness.

The first one was a big, bald, dark-skin man. He had a bulky figure, wide of back and arms so muscled they looked deformed. His eyes were pitch-black and a devilish smile parted his full lips, making him look feral. A long, steel sword leaned lazily against his shoulder, as if it weighted nothing more than a couple of pounds. He wore a black, opened vest revealing part of his broad chest. His legs were clad on white baggy pants and dark combat boots.

The second one was taller and slender. It gave you the faint impression that his arms and legs could twist and move in uncanny ways -as if his body was boneless. Black locks cascaded down his shoulders and grey orbs bored intently into Kyo's ruby ones in apparent calmness. His hands shot towards his sides, taking out two small daggers from the pockets of his coat. What was below his long trench coat, however, was a mystery.

The last one was of normal height and a little more robust than the second one. His body complexion and height was on par with Yukimura's. He had sandy brown, messy hair, porcelain white skin and piercing hazel eyes. His beauty was somewhat feminine and he seemed to like this, his posture (a hand on his waist) told him as much. He was clad by a sleeveless red coat –strikingly similar to Yukimura's- black tight pants and a turtleneck, long sleeve shirt.

After his inspection, it was easy for Kyo to connect each of the voices he had heard with their respectful owner. The husky voice belonged to the bald man, the feminine one to the 'pretty' boy and the grave one to the man with the long coat.

A group of five men came out from behind the biggest man soon after; faces hidden between shadows and clothes. Yet, amidst all the dimness and the chaos of their reckless movements, there was one think that that stood out. They all had wicked blades, shining like beacons with the rays of the full moon.

Kyo felt the excitement of the battle to come overtaking him. His blood boiled, his heart raced, adrenaline rushed through his veins in preparation for a feast.

Three of the five men who had stepped closer to him broke into a run. They parted ways before they could reach him. One went left, the other one right, while the third one kept charging straight on.

Kyo jumped backwards in time to avoid the blades. He took out the man on his right with one swift movement of his wrist. His blade slashed the man from left hip to right shoulder in a matter of seconds.

'Muramasa' effortlessly found its second victim. The man that had stayed in the middle, was a slash later tumbling onto the floor. A pool of blood spread under him, drowning him in a matter of seconds.

The third man followed his companions to the afterlife soon after. Just before he could get away, Kyo had cleaved him in half, from head to crotch.

"Is this all you've got?" Kyo's voice was sustained in the fine line that divided amusement from irritation. The excitement he'd felt was absent in the wake of disappointment. These men were not good enough! How dare they think themselves his equals! How dare they deceive him into thinking this would be fun!

"That was just a warm up," pretty boy informed. "After seeing your moves… oh, I cannot wait anymore… My sword yearns for your blood, Onime no Kyo."

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi Sasuke** crouched and made quick inventory of his wounds. They were all shallow cuts.

"What are you looking for?" she asked; her face covered by a ninja mask so that only her dark eyes were visible.

"Who is your master and what does he want with my sister?" Sasuke hissed, scanning the area in search for more people. There were none. Good, that worked for him.

"Sakaki Kenji?" She sounded amused, either by his tone or question, Sasuke didn't know. "He's a samurai who goes around the world teaching people that 'price' and 'value' are two different things."

"What does that has to do with Yuya?"

"Nothing… everything," she laughed and then shrugged. "How the heck should I know?"

He wanted to cut her right where she stood, and yet he needed to get information out of her. So killing her –at least for the time being- was out of the question.

"You shouldn't let your guard down," she chided.

Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts. What was she talking ab-! His mind came up blank. _What the hell is going on! _Sasuke tried to move but couldn't. His body wasn't responding! He looked down and squinted. His blood drained from his face. He was trapped. Black, thin threads were circling his form, tightening around every muscle painfully.

He turned to her. She smirked. He could see it. The left part of her mouth quirking upward under her black mask. Thus, he did the same. Sasuke smirked back.

"Do you really think I would be as foolish as to be caught by this?"

She pulled her arms back, tightening the threads –which were attached to the tips of her fingers- around his body. Sasuke opened his hand, a smoke bomb slipping from it. It detonated as soon as it hit the floor. When the smoke cleared… there was nothing. Green leaves had replaced his body.

From his new hiding spot, Sasuke smiled. _You weren't expecting that, were you?_

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya**'smood was sour. Kyo's voice kept echoing throughout the place. The more she heard his statements the less she wanted to wake up -the less she wanted to _see_ him. It simply hurt too much… to not know who or what she was to him, but to be so damn certain of who _he_ was to her.

He was her savior, her crush. Her love even…?

"What am I to you, Kyo?" she demanded sullenly.

"_She is my servant."_

"Yes that's who I am. I am your servant and only that… nothing else. Is there no room for me in your heart? Can I not be who Sakuya was in your life?"

"_So stay away from my property_."

"I am his property. 'His' but not in the way I would like. I do not want to feel this for him anymore!" Tears welled in her eyes. "When did I become this weak…? How did I allow this to happen?"

Suddenly, the child was there, beside her. When had he appeared? When had the toddler without a face slipped his hand inside hers?

The pain in her heart lessened. Another feeling stirred to life, replacing the bleakness from before. It was a nice feeling. Warm and constant. Yuya realized, with sudden enlightenment, why this felt so good. It was because this was the sensation of being loved by someone –of being treasured by this strange kid.

It was the feeling of being happy.

This young boy was part of her, she knew. Deep, deep down inside her soul she could hear his voice calling her, asking her to stay with him. Emerald eyes turned to gaze at the child beside her. His face was no longer a blur. Blond hair now framed his chubby face and his eyes… oh, that color was all too familiar! But what did it mean?

She knelt down in front of him, pulled him to her, and hugged him tightly. And even though tears were forming in her eyes, Shinna Yuya smiled.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** quirked an eyebrow. It seemed to him that the three 'leaders' were finally preparing to attack. The rest of their soldiers, meanwhile, moved back, creating a human barricade with a stage on its center.

"The curtain has been raised," said creepy man.

"Let the show begin," laughed pretty boy.

The tall, muscular man began to walk in Kyo's direction, his eyes flashing with anger and excitement and one more thing. Blood thirst?

Kyo fell into a stance then frowned when his opponents got distracted by something to his right. Kyo followed their eyes, looking at what lied behind the parting crowd. A man was strolling towards them at leisure, surefooted and relaxed. He was humming a tender lullaby, which was what had distracted everyone. Only when he reached them, did Kyo recognize him.

"What the heck are 'you' doing here?" Kyo snapped, his irritation increasing by the unwelcome appearance of his number one enemy as of this morning.

"My, my," Kenji shook his head. "I do not believe this is fair… three versus one, I mean."

"Oh, what would you do about it, little man?" big guy sneered, a devilish smile splitting his face in half.

"You might as well fight two instead of one," Kenji unsheathed one of his swords. He held it up in front of him as if in invitation. Kyo only wished they were alone so he could accept that and wipe that bloody smile away. But his revenge would have to wait.

**To be Continued…**


	7. Deciding

"_I want the death lovers of the world to hear our laughter and grow sad. I want a breath of passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain."_

_-Oscar Wide (The Picture of Dorian Gray)_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 7: "Deciding"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo**'seyes jumped from one stranger to the other, trying to determine the biggest threat.

"It doesn't matter that someone's joined him, it only means more fun for us right, Masaki?" pretty boy told the big guy, producing a pair of kamas(1) from under his crimson coat.

"I don't care as long as I get to fight Onime no kyo," big guy Masaki answered, licking his lips.

"Then does that mean I can have him?" pretty boy gazed at Kenji almost longingly.

"Reiji," creepy man spoke, digging his hands into his coat's pockets, "be careful. He seems skilled."

"Akinari, you worry too much," pretty boy Reiji laughed, brushing the worry aside with a wave of his hand.

"Maybe you don't worry enough," creepy man Akinari argued.

"Who the heck are you three clowns suppose to be?" Kyo was getting angry, not only because these pests were wasting his time, but also because out of nowhere the person he wanted to kill the most had just come and 'offered' his help.

Why had bloody Kenji appeared? What was his purpose for doing this? Was he truly interested in helping out or was he just looking for sport? More importantly, what the hell had he done to his servant?

"I am disappointed to learn you haven't heard of us!" Reiji gasped dramatically. "Well then, it seems we are not so popular yet! Maybe we should kill some more people?"

"Suzuki, Reiji. Known as the man who never stops fighting until his opponent is lying dead at his feet. There were rumors about him circulating among the northern villages. It is said that he has a technique which allows his attacks to become stronger and his body more resistant," Kenji informed with a monotone tone, as if this was something he had read and memorized from a book. "However, after gathering more knowledge, one could imply that in fact it is not a technique at all, but a state of mind known as 'berserk' that is attained due to the excitement of battle."

"I am impressed you know so much about me," Reiji licked his lips. "But I wonder… should I be happy?"

"The other two…?" Kyo enquired; not caring at the moment where the information was coming from. He was in a hurry to get somewhere else.

"Yamada, Masaki. He's considered a frightful giant in many villages. They say that once you engage him in battle, the probabilities of escaping from death are reduced to none," Kenji's cerulean eyes moved to big guy. "Some say that he is fanatical when fighting, and that his moves are only controlled by the adrenaline of excitement."

"The hell! Do you want to try your luck, little man?" prompted the offended man.

"Kudo, Akinari," Kenji's voice carried on, the same bored tone staining his every word. "A man who calculates his opponent's every move. They say that his mind works faster than most, making him a deadly strategist. Nonetheless, that is not his only asset, for according to some who had seen him fight; his body has the ability to twist in uncanny ways."

"You seem to know a lot about us and still you want to assist this man," creepy man Akinari pointed his dagger at Kyo. Slowly, he moved it towards Kenji. "Who are you?"

"Someone who dislikes to fight… but above all dislikes unfairness," he replied with a gentle fucking smile.

"That does not tell us much," Reiji was walking towards him; a sharp kama on each hand.

Kenij smiled as his opponent rushed him. He moved to the right to avoid one of the kamas, while using his sword to stop the movement of the other. So Kyo had been right, he was a skilled swordsman. The day Kyo's blade had rested on Kenji's neck had been an illusion constructed by a pretender. Kenji could have easily stopped him, but he hadn't.

Kyo shook his head, filing his findings for future consideration. Right now, he had a job to do and he was excited to get started.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** was sitting on the grassy hill beside the small, blond child. She leaned back against the trunk of the Sakura tree as her hand kept combing the silky hair of the boy.

"Look," he said, eyes wide with anticipation.

"What is it?" she asked kindly, squeezing the child's hand.

"Look and split," he explained in a playful voice, "and after you had done it and accept it… you will forget it."

She quirked an eyebrow at his riddling words. In answer, the horizon disappeared. It was sucked up by a black dot until she found herself in the middle of a dark canvas with nothing and no one for company.

"I am said to be 'the one who is everywhere on the Tokai road'… Shinna Yuya, the bounty hunter (2)!" Yuya's eyes searched for the source of the voice -_her_ voice.

A couple of meters away from her a blond, pink clothed bounty hunter appeared. A gun on her right hand, pose relax and confident. Her lips moved to utter the same phrase again and again.

"That is me," she whispered, unable to understand why there was another Yuya standing in front of her.

_It was her; her as the bounty hunter; a person who had found nothing else to do in order to survive, but kill. A woman who'd bought herself another day to live with each bullet spat by her weapon. _

"You have seen," the child's voice echoed around her, "and you have split."

"I do not-" she hadn't finished her statement before the proud hunter's figure was trapped inside a glassy cage. As soon as the cage had descended upon her, the voice was lost. Another one quickly replaced it, though.

"To find the guy with the scar on his back… to find him I need money (3)."

A blond woman in a white yukata appeared before her. Her eyes were dark and filled with mixed emotions of pain, suffering, determination and rage.

_It was her; her as the girl who had watched her brother being murdered. A sister who lived only for the promise of revenge. _

The figure was soon enclosed in another glassy structure, her voice trapped inside its walls. So that even though her lips were moving, there was no way of knowing what she was saying.

A third figure of her appeared beside the last one. It was her in a muddy and torn yukata, her eyes wide and filled with fright.

"These red eyes… Onime no Kyo!"

_That was her as a scared human_… and she too was caged.

The same thing happened over and over again. A figure of her would appear and then it would be trapped behind a transparent box never to be heard again.

Her with a slashed Yukata, most of her pale skin revealed… _it was her as a vulnerable figure. _Her with fists clenched and a vein popping out of her forehead… _it was her as an irritated woman. _Her under the rain, her clothes soaked to her very bones and her eyes showing resolution… _it was her trusting Kyo. _Her with her cheeks blushing furiously… _it was her as a woman who wanted someone to care for her. _Her with a confident smile but still a worried look on her face… _it was her believing 'he' would come and save her. _Her with her hand clapping her mouth and her eyes wide with fear… _it was her worried about the Kyo_.Her smiling gently_… it was her understanding that she was in love_.

Her with tearful eyes… _it was her realizing that she was nothing more than a servant. Heartbroken and weak, that was the part of her life she hated the most. And it was who she inevitably had become… _

Finally, it was over. There were no more figures. There were no more feelings fighting inside her for dominion of her heart. There was nothing left. An empty hole without a floor, so deep that if you where to fall inside you would never stop dropping.

So by the end, displayed before her were all her emotions. They stood behind plain glass bars like items displayed in a store.

"It is time to accept and forget," came the child's voice again. His small hand slipped inside hers to reassure her that she would not lose everything. That she would still gain something… but was it worth it?

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi** **Sasuke** was not sure how to proceed with the situation. There were many choices he 'could' make, but he wasn't sure which one was the right one.

This ninja was skillful and dangerous. If he'd encountered her at another time and in a different place, he wouldn't have hesitated to get rid of her as soon as possible. He couldn't do so now. Not when Yukimura hadn't given him license to kill. He had instructed him to collect information, only that. So, what to do?

"Would you like some tea while we wait for Kenji-sama?" her voice held that amused tone which made shivers run down his spine.

Sasuke watched as the girl began to take out of the pockets of her sozoko(4) all the weapons she was carrying. Darts, strings, shriukens and a pair of sais. She aligned them neatly on the table between them her.

Having done that, she began to unstrap the extra equipment she'd been wearing. From her feet and hands she removed 'ashikos' (spiked claws worn on the feet), 'shukos' (spiked claws worn on the hands), and ten 'nekotes' that had adorned her fingers (iron fingernails dip with poison) (5).

"What are you planning?" he asked while keeping himself hidden under the veil of darkness.

"You've come to talk to him, have you not?"

"I have come here to find out what his purpose is," Sasuke corrected.

The girl watched him step into the light; his sword clutched tightly.

"Then, wouldn't it make sense for you to ask him this?" She winked before pointing out, "there's no better source than him ne, Sasuke?"

The girl pulled down the mask to reveal her face. Sasuke was careful to conceal his surprise. He'd known she was young but he hadn't expected her to be pretty as well. He pushed his inane thoughts away. That wasn't important. What was important is what she'd said. How had she known his name? Had Kenji been keeping tabs on them as well? If so, then why hadn't he or Saizo noticed?

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** inspected the two men left to him. Big guy was smiling, creepy man was glaring. Kyo hoped he would have more fun with them than he'd done with his last fight.

"Are you ready to die?" big guy Masaki's asked, unsheathing his bastard sword and breaking into a run towards him. He held his sword high above his head. Kyo shook his head at the silly stance. He was wide open for an attack.

Almost lazily, Kyo sidestepped to the left before the blade could touch his right shoulder. In a flash, he unsheathed his katana, slashing Masaki's side in the process. It was merely a shallow cut on the ribs. Kyo didn't feel like ending this too fast. He was still hoping for a challenge.

"Leave some for me, Masaki!" Akinari exclaimed.

Kyo felt slight pain on his back, courtesy of a shallow wound. Blood slid down his spine, leaving a red path behind and soaking his clothes. He scanned the terrain, part of his mind trying to find an explanation for what happened. The other part was busy dodging and fending off the attacks of big guy Masaki.

Kyo jumped sideways when he heard a swooping sound coming his way. A large plastic-like hand passed right in front of him. Unfazed, Kyo used his sword to cut the arm right off its owner before it could make its way back.

"Damn it!" Akinari cried out, holding onto the stump that was now his arm.

"Akinari, you idiot!" Masaki yelled angrily, positioning himself between his wounded companion and Kyo. "Stay out of this, Aki! He's mine!"

"I am the 'property' of no one," Kyo's lips parted into a devilish evil. "I have no time to deal with pests as insignificant as you…"

**Kudo Akinari **brushed at his eyes. The figure of Kyo had just transformed and dispersed into Sakura petals. Masaki stood some ways away, just as confused.

Akinari had never seen this before. Yet, he'd heard about this ability. What was it again? A thing about a 'crow' or something along those lines… but what was it that it did? More importantly, how could he get out?

A fog descended upon them, hiding Masaki. The mist was so thick, that eventually he saw nothing except for the pink petals swirling around him, forming small tornados here and there. His guard was up, but he knew he was not a strong hand-to-hand fighter. He was a strategist -someone who preferred to attack from a good distance. At least, far enough to be out of reach of his opponent's weapons.

Yet now, here he was. In a place where there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run, nothing to see and no one to feel. So, where was he? Where was Reiji? Had something befell Masaki?

No, what their fates had in store for them did not matter. What matter was… Where was Onime no Kyo?

**-o0o-**

**Suzuki Reiji** had seen his friends' battle area disappear behind a white smoky screen. He was currently unable to tell what was happening inside or whether they were safe or not. But he had no time to think about them. He had his own fight. His very own opponent.

He switched his focus from Kenji's calm form, to the mess that was his arm. Seconds after their fight had begun, Kenji's sword had bitten deep into his shoulder. Reiji had been too far gone in his excitement to notice the wound until a while ago.

It didn't matter though. Soon the pain would disappear. His tiredness would be replaced by the upheaval of his blade tasting the blood of his opponent. Oh, how had he yearned for Onime no Kyo's blood… and yet, this was neither better nor worst. Kenji was proving just as strong as he'd assumed Kyo was, and that was enough to satisfy his lust.

"Are you planning on attacking anytime soon?" Kenji's voice was still gentle and -in spite of having been moving around much more- his tone was steady and unchanged.

"What kind of monster are you?" Reiji hissed, spitting some blood onto the ground.

"The frightening kind," Kenji admitted, becoming a blur before disappearing completely from his sight.

**To be Continued…**

* * *

**Story's Notes:**

(1) Kamas: _were once harvesting tools which were transformed into deadly weapons. They consisted of a long stick with an 11-12 inches crescent-arc blade sticking out of one of its ends. _

(2)_ This is the line she uses to introduce herself when she first met Kioshiro. _

(3) _Quoted directly from the manga alongside the lines that followed. _

(4) Sozoko: _Traditional black ninja outfit, in which all the body is hidden except for eyes and fingers. It has many hidden pockets where small weapons can be stored. It also includes 'tabi' boots. These have a slit between the big toe and the second toe. _

(5) All the weapons mention_ are traditional ninja equipment used in the past. _


	8. Waking

"_Do you love me because I am beautiful? Or am I beautiful because you love me?"_

_-Unknown_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 8: "Waking"**

* * *

**Kudo Akinari** knew the tide had changed the moment the rest of his warriors turned tail and left. No matter, he would deal with their insubordination later. He and his two partners were sufficient anyways. It was taking longer than expected, granted, but he would kill his opponent and then move to cut the other in half as well!

His grip on his sharp knives tightened and he fought the urge to cut his hair short. It had never annoyed him as much as it did right now. Sweat trail down the sides of his face. He brushed at it absently, wishing to keep it out of his eyes. He scanned the field, afraid the Demon Eyes will materialize behind him again. The first time had been a surprise too many and he would not have it repeated.

"Munyo Jinpu Style," came Onime no Kyo's deep voice, "Satsujin Ken! Shin!"

Akinari tensed when the Sakura petals that had been swirling around him dispersed into ashes. Even though he could not see the fire that had caused the change, he could feel it. The fog transformed form a white screen to a crimson one, bringing the smell of death and decay with it.

Akinari heard a loud intake of air. Someone was panting tiredly beside him. His thin, moist lips quirked upward in a victorious smirk. Kyo was an imbecile! He'd just given his position away!

Akinari spun around, with a sharp knife on either hand. He used the momentum to gain speed, slashing the man who had tried to attack him.

**-o0o-**

**Yamada Masaki's** dark orbs darted from side to side. Those damn petals kept whirling around his body, as if each of them were bees circling a pot of honey. It was difficult to see beyond an inch of where he stood. It was disconcerting to say the least. He could run, he knew, towards the edge of the screen… but the problem was he did not know where that was anymore.

No, he would not waste his energies searching for a way out. He would be patient and wait. Kyo was a fighter, his bloodlust known far and wide. He would get sick of the standstill long before he did. He would make a mistake, a noise, an attack -something! And Masaki would get him then.

"Munyo Jinpu Style," Kyo's voice echoed all around him. "Satsujin Ken! Shin!"

Everything changed. Pink became black, white became red, heaven became hell. Masaki smiled. Yes, this was more like it! He knew Kyo had gotten tired when he heard light steps coming from somewhere beside him, approaching him. Someone was trying to get close to him, huh? Well, well, Onime no Kyo was trying to catch him off guard! But Masaki was better than that.

Hell, his sense of hearing was as keen as a dog's. So Masaki moved towards the noise, towards the presence he could not see but which he could feel. Another step and the fog parted, allowing him to see his opponent standing just before him, giving him his back.

_I found you, Onime no Kyo!_

He raised his sharp sword high above his head, his tongue savoring the moment his blade would bathe with the thousand-men slayer's blood. He brought it down with all the strength he could muster. He may not have been as fast as Kyo, but he was definitely stronger. He would end this with one blow!

Hot. Sharp. Fast. Pain shot from somewhere around his chest as he felt an object plunging into his solar plexus. Simultaneously, his blade connected with exposed skin. The thought that he had at least hurt Kyo renewed his strength. Shifting his weight, he kept pushing his blade into the figure, trying to ignore the blade that was being pushed inside his chest, blinding him with pain.

He would die, at least that much he could tell, but he would not die alone.

**-o0o-**

**Suzuki Reiji** charged the samurai –what was his name? oh yes, Kenji!—once more. He had replaced his twins kamas with a lethal kusuri-gama since his left arm was useless after a well-placed slash. Though he could barely hold the silver chain of his weapon, he was still skillfully slashing the air around him.

A single thought echoed in his head. 'Wipe his smile'. He repeated the line again and again, like a mantra. His opponent proved bothersome. He kept dodging every attack that came his way effortlessly, _mockingly _almost!

"It seems Kyo has finished his battle."

Reiji was startled by Kenji's statement. What did he mean? Was this man only playing with him? Or was he, perhaps, waiting for Kyo to come to his aid?

"I'm sorry," Kenji smiled in that fucking gentle manner that was driving Reiji insane. "My time is running out… so, if you excuse me." Kenji became a blur. In a blink, he was beside him, whispering in his ear like a lover would. "I'll kill you now. Good night, Susuki Reiji."

Razor sharp pain blossomed in the pit of his stomach. Hazel eyes widened and then lowered, taking in the image of the crimson blade that was coming out his body. He screamed when the blade was pulled out and Reiji fell to his knees, pain making his body twitch violently.

The last thing Reiji saw, was that smiling face with those blue eyes; eyes that were not merry; eyes that held absolutely nothing in their depths. For some reason, that last thought brought him some comfort as his life slipped away.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo **smiled at his handiwork. Though they were on the edge of their life, he couldn't help gloating.

"You both saw it too, didn't you?" Kyo didn't try to hide his amusement. "The red mirage."

The red atmosphere that had enclosed them disappeared. Kyo watched his opponents' faces closely. Both men were shocked by the image that greeted them. Akinari's dagger had perforated his friend's solar plexus. The blade lost beneath a dark layer of, once brown, now crimson, skin.

Masaki's sword, meanwhile, had sliced Akinari in half -his blade reaching down all the way to his crotch. Neither man uttered a word or made a noise. They probably hadn't even noticed the time when death had claimed their lives. They were nothing now, saved maybe grotesque statues used for bloody decoration.

"I see," Kyo turned his attention to Kenji. "So this is the famous illusion technique. It is a shame I was not able to appreciate it completely."

"Don't worry, I'll be happy to show it to you firsthand," Kyo offered sadistically.

"Oh, that is so very kind of you to offer," Kenji smiled. "I think I will have to decline for the time being."

"And why is that?" Kyo asked drily, his hand still clutching the hilt of his sword.

"I believe there is a far more important matter you need to attend to first, isn't there?"

Kenji turned around and began to walk away without a care in the world. The tender lullaby he had been crooning before he had encountered the warriors on the street, making its way back to his lips.

Perhaps in another time under different circumstances, Kyo would have followed him and finished him for his 'boldness'. But, much as it pained him to admit it, the man was correct. He didn't have time to deal with him. There was something -_someone_ much more important that needed his immediate attention.

His hand shot towards his chest, searching for the small bag that had been safely kept between the folds of his kimono.

"Yuya," he whispered, and broke into a run in the opposite direction Kenji had taken. A deep and hidden part of him hoped he wasn't too late.

**-o0o-**

**Sarutobi Sasuke** inspected her from head to toe.

"Who are you?" he asked her, sitting on the other end of the table, his hands never leaving his sword.

"Higa, Natsuki," she replied while making tea. "A servant of Kenji-sama. One of many."

"What are you planning? Why did you stop fighting?" the last question had been bugging him ever since she had asked him to wait for her master to come back.

"I have been ordered neither to fight nor to kill. So, if I killed you Kenji-sama would probably get angry at me," she explained handing him a cup, which he did not accept. "Is something wrong?" she asked innocently.

Sasuke glared. If there was an ulterior motive to any of this, she was hiding it well.

"You think…?" She giggled softly, reaching for the cup. "It's not poison." She lifted it in emphasis and brought it to her lips. She drained it in two gulps.

Sasuke was left without words; confusion plaguing his every thought. The only thing left to do, he realized, would be to wait for Sakaki Kenji to arrive.

**-o0o-**

**Akira** felt Kyo's presence making his way towards them. He had been sitting by Yuya's side the entire time, hoping she would open her eyes. Yet, she never did.

He stood up and slid open the shoji screen just in time to let Kyo step inside.

"Leave," he ordered as he sat near the brown wooden medicine box that had once belonged to Kyoshiro.

"You are wounded," Akira pointed out.

"It is not mine," Kyo lied, not putting too much effort into it.

Akira knew when to push and when to back away. With a sigh, he turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him.

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo **cursed when he noticed that many of the ingredients that were suppose to be liquid had dried and become solid. So that after mixing them, he ended up with a rocky pill instead of a potion.

Kyo reached for a wooden bottle of water that was sitting on a nearby table. He shook the container, glad to find it halfway filled.

"You better wake up after this," he growled through gritted teeth, the wound on his back aching. "I actually went through bloody trouble to make this!"

His hand slid underneath her head. Gently, not wishing to hurt her, he pulled her into a semi-sitting position, propping her against his frame. He used his free hand to prod open her lips and pushed the pill in. He picked up the water bottle and put it to her lips, tilting it slowly. Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly as planned. Yuya coughed, spitting a mouthful of water and the bloody pill right in his face.

"Damn it, woman!" he hissed, retrieving the soggy pill and drying his face with his sleeve. "You had to get sick, didn't you?"

Never in his life had he ever felt so angry and worried at the same time. In fact, he had never experienced the horrible feeling of uncertainty or concern before he had met the fragile female that lay feverish on his arms.

He hated her! He hated her for making him worry about her. He hated her for getting in trouble. He hated her for being in danger and he hated her for trusting him…

It had all started that moment, after all. It was when he learned she trusted- not Kyoshiro, not the one-thousand men slayer, not 'Onime no Kyo', but him; the man that existed below all those things and behind all those names and titles.

He would save her again, damn it. He would save her just like all those other times. He would not let her get away because she was _his_ servant and he had not given her permission to become ill –much less die!

Determined to see this through, he took the pill and popped it, this time, into his mouth. He took a deep breath, gathered a mouthful of water and then proceeded to lock his lips with hers. He worked her mouth open and blew the water with the pill into it. When the water had successfully propelled the medicine into her throat, he pulled back almost reluctantly.

Truth was, he felt strange… He was, perhaps for the first time, scared because he had never felt like this before. It was not that he was afraid of having contact with women. No. That was ridiculous. In fact, he was a master when it came to one-night-stands. Yet, that was all they had been; a one-night moment with no place for actual feelings.

In comparison to all those times, this felt definitely different. This hadn't even been a real kiss and still he'd liked it. Worst! Now he harbored the absurd desired to feel her lips on his again. He yearned to _taste_ her again.

He stood up and shook his head as if trying to shake away the feeling that ached for the promise of her touch. The abrupt movement sent a shock of pain through his battered body. For a moment, she'd made him forget about his wound.

Crimson eyes came to rest on a package near Yuya's things. He walked towards it and opened it. A black kimono, with red trimmed edges, was folded neatly inside. He took it out, remembering the time when Yuya had presented it to him right after she had bought it. He'd said nothing back then and he regretted it.

He wondered for the twentieth time why she had gone to the trouble to purchase it. Why had she wanted him to have it? Was there a deeper meaning to this Samaritan action? He swore to himself that one day he would ask her and so she couldn't die. She could not leave him because he was still curious about her reasons. It was not only that, though. Truth was, he still wanted to know more about her and them and _this, _this he felt towards her.

He turned to look at the unconscious figure one last time before stripping off his clothes. He retrieved some bandages from the medicine box and began to treat his wound. After he was done, he moved towards Yuya. He regarded her from a reasonable distance. This girl was special in her own little way. She frightened and thrilled him. One word from her could frustrate him or amuse him. So what was he supposed to do with her now that he'd accepted this?

Kyo sighed, not wishing to think too hard about this. Not right now, at the very least. He was tired. So he took a seat beside her, choosing his position carefully. He was near enough to hear her breathing but far enough to still maintain his 'sanity'. Only then, did his lids dropped tiredly, allowing him to succumb into some much needed sleep.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** was still looking at her trapped clones, trying to figure out what they meant, asking them what they wanted. They never responded. All of them just continued to stand there, some repeating one same phrase again and again. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the surface of one of the glass cages.

Yuya let go of the hand of the child that had been saying something about forgetting the past. She moved towards the flawed box and realized that the figure inside was the one with blushed cheeks. It was the girl who'd realized her feelings for Kyo.

"What does this mean?"

A gush of wind swept her off her feet as soon as the question had rolled down her tongue. Her lips felt strangely damp and warm and before she knew it, everything disappeared.

Yuya closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was greeted by the image of Kyo. He was sleeping beside her in a sitting position -his sword leaning against his shoulder, his chest moving up and down, his breaths soft and deep.

Hey gaze bored into the frame of the man before her for a silent while. When realization of who he was hit her, she quickly but quietly sat up and changed her position to the one she _should_ have when being in his presence. She folded her legs and sat on them, her hands placed one on top of the other on her lap. In that same position, Yuya waited for her master to wake and impart his orders. After all, she lived only to obey.

**To be Continued… **


	9. Revelations

"_Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres." _

_-1 Corinthians 13:4-7_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

* * *

**Chapter 9: "Revelations"**

* * *

**Onime no Kyo** woke up feeling eyes digging a hole on the side of his face. It was a strange feeling and it had been that, which had prompted him to wake in disorientation. The first thing he did was groan. His body was still aching, probably by the lack of proper rest. He shook his tiredness aside and sought out the source of all his latest troubles. He found her sitting on her knees right beside him, peering at his face silently.

"What are you looking at, woman?" he snapped.

Her eyes lowered to the floor as if in fear. Kyo had to do a double take. Had he sounded meaner than usual? He knew he hadn't. If anything, he sounded kinder than usual. So what the hell was wrong with her? Yuya was not someone who took such rudeness from him this lightly or quietly.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he couldn't hide his irritation. The damn woman flinched and Kyo rolled his eyes. He leaned forward in order to better peer at her face, wondering if she was coming down with some other sickness.

"I'm sorry, master." Yuya bowed to him; her forehead touching the back of her hands, which were placed on the floor before her. "It will not happen again."

_Submissive_, that was the first word that popped into his head. He quirked an eyebrow and, for a second, wondered if she was joking. She wasn't though. She wouldn't have been able to hold her laughter for so long if she had.

Kyo crossed his arms and knitted his brow thoughtfully. Perhaps this was a side-effect of the medicine he'd given her the night before? If that was it, then it was probably temporary. Kyo decided that he liked the explanation and so shook the concern away for now.

"That's right!" he leered with amused arrogance. "You are my servant and it was about time you started acting like one. Now go and fetch me some sake!"

"As you wish, master," she raised to answer his command without any objections.

Before she could reach the paper door, Kyo intercepted her. He looked down at her hard and she glanced at him once in open confusion, before lowering her gaze to the floor. Yuya fucking submissive! That had to be a joke, right?

A moment of inactivity followed. Kyo wasn't sure what to feel or think anymore. He wasn't sure how to proceed at all. The thing was, Kyo hadn't intended her on actually complying with his order in such a 'servant-like' way. He was even disappointed at her lack of enthusiasm in cursing him. He had expected her protests of how he should get it himself and one or two facial expressions displaying her anger.

"Follow me," he said as he left the room. Yuya followed closely behind in complete and utter _silence_.

When he reached the next room, he sat down and –before any questions could be asked—told the two individuals inside what happened, omitting some of the events from the day before. Kyo didn't know what had made him come to them. Perhaps the hope that at least Akira would know what he was dealing with.

The men sat close to Yuya, inspecting her. Benitora frowned at her lack of… well, by her change. Like Kyo'd done before, they too waited -expecting her to laugh at any seconds with explanations of this being nothing more than a joke. And like before, nothing changed, not even her.

"What happened again?" Benitora turned to look at him, crossing his arms as though it was all Kyo's fault.

"I already told you. Clean your ears, servant number one," Kyo replied humorlessly.

"So when you woke up she was already like this…" Akira hummed thoughtfully.

Kyo remained silent. He'd already told them what happened. There was no point in repeating himself. It was not as if things could change just by talking about them. Of course, that was not really what was keeping him quiet. He was feeling rather angry and, in some level, even distressed by her new behavior. Kyo didn't feel like having his companions finding this out. It was not as if he wanted them to start thinking he actually _cared_ for the annoying girl now, did he?

"Yuya-han… how are you feeling?" Benitora crawled even closer to her, his concern evident in every line of his face.

Yuya turned to look at Kyo. He almost broke the cup of sake he was holding. Damn her! She was actually asking him for fucking permission to talk! Not wanting to drag this longer than was necessary, he nodded with clumsily contained irritation.

"I'm feeling as my master wishes me to feel," she stated politely, her words devoid of any actual emotion. It was as if this was a response in another language drilled inside her head. She was speaking without any real understanding.

Kyo hated it, this, her!

"Where are Sasuke and Yukimura?" demanded Kyo. He hadn't heard a peep from them, or seen them for that matter, since yesterday afternoon. As if in answer to his question the shoji slid open, revealing the mention pair.

"Ne-chan!" Sasuke approached the girl, sounding relieved. "I'm glad you're okay!"

Yuya gave the boy a puzzled look, either because she had not understood what he'd said or because she couldn't remember him, was of no importance. What really mattered was to get her back to the way she was, which, naturally, was the wish of everyone inside the small room -even Kyo would never admit that out loud.

"What is wrong with her?" Sasuke wasn't pleased.

"She has been like that ever since she woke," whined Benitora. "She's been acting like a mindless servant. I don't like this!"

"So this is what he meant," Yukimura knelt in front of Yuya, gazing into her eyes, as if searching for something.

"Explain, Sanada," Kyo's tone held a warning. His temper had been fried enough.

Blue eyes met red.

"Sakaki Kenji," Yukimura answered, moving to sit by Kyo.

**Sanada Yukimura** closed his eyes, recalling what had transpired not too long ago, in a room on the opposite side of this Inn.

_Yukimura stayed hidden from view, waiting for his target to appear. He saw him minutes later. Kenji was walking down the corridor, most probably heading for his room. He was chanting a strange lullaby. It was peaceful and mysterious and Yukimura felt a shiver run down his spine at the sound._

_He stopped near his hiding spot and Yukimura knew he'd been found. _

"_Sanada Yukimura," Kenji greeted gently. "I am honored to be sought by someone so famous but, to what do I owe this pleasure?"_

_Yukimura faked an easy smile and moved out of the shadows, stepping into the man's path. "Tell me something, Sakaki Kenji, what is it that you want from Yuya-san?"_

"_Oh, have you come to ask me what I have done to that beautiful creature?" _

"_Indeed," Yukimura's tone dried out. "I would very much like to know what you've done to her." His voice became cheerful again, "So if you could be so kind as to tell me." _

"_Then by all means," Kenji raised an arm as if in invitation, "follow me and I shall answer all you questions."_

"_Why don't you just answer them here?" Yukimura's sense of danger was spiking, signaling that this might be a trap._

"_Because I believe I have another visitor waiting for me in my room," Kenji explained casually, "I think he is one of your men, by the way."_

_Yukimura cursed inwardly. Well, it would be rude of him to turn down an invitation so graciously given! So putting his jolly mask back on, he followed Kenji down the hall. _

"So this is that idiot's doing?" Kyo's voice was a mixture of amusement, interest and building fury. Yukimura couldn't blame him. Kenji was proving to be a challenging opponent and Kyo would have been happy to have it so. However, targeting Yuya was a mistake and Kyo would not have it stand.

"What happened afterwards?" asked Akira.

Yukimura pondered the question. Or, more accurately, searched for the best answer to a bugging dilemma: should he tell them what Sakaki had said? Or should he advise Kyo to go the man personally?

"Speak," Kyo ordered, his patience clearly lacking.

"I believe it's best if you go and talk to the man yourself," Yukimura decided. "This is a matter that concerns just the two of you."

"Sakaki and Kyo?" asked Benitora, trying to understand what was happening.

"Kyo and Yuya," corrected Yukimura with a shrug, taking Kyo's sake bottle and pouring himself a cup.

Kyo seemed thoughtful for a moment longer. Then, without a word, he rose and strolled towards the exit. "Follow me, woman," he ordered, sliding the door open.

Yuya rose to her feet rapidly and followed the retreating figure, both of them disappearing out the door.

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki** **Kenji** was in the Inn's garden, studying the fountain's architecture. His swords were secured to his waist and he kept stroking the hilts absently. He was never comfortable without them.

He looked up at the sky, admiring the mosaic of soft colors as the sun began its retreat. It was as if the sky was on fire. Sunset was the most beautiful part of the day.

He felt someone coming and smiled. So, Yukimura had sent him after all. He turned to the hall, sure enough Kyo was coming. Kenji's eyes softened when he noticed that he wasn't alone. He'd brought a gift with him as well.

"What a wonderful surprise. Was it Yukimura-san the one who sent you?"

"I thought I told you not to mess with my property," Kyo's tone was as cold as his crimson eyes.

"And I did not," Kenji assured. "In fact, you should be thankful to me."

Kenji could tell the statement had caught Onime no Kyo off guard. It took him a while to find his words again.

"Oh, and why is that?" his voice turned amused. Kenji wondered if he was faking confidence. It didn't matter, though. None of this did, except for Yuya.

"I have transformed her into what you wanted," Kenji said, his lips curving into a genuine smile.

Kyo kept silent and waited expressionless for some kind of explanation. Fine, Kenji would give it to him.

"What is Yuya-san to you? Said I." Kenji saw crimson eyes lit with realization. "She is my servant, said you."

If looks could kill, Kyo's glare would have done the trick. But it didn't matter. Because Kenji had spoken naught by the truth. Those had been Kyo's exact words and he could not take them back, could he?

"So Kyo," he asked, moving towards him slowly. "If she is only your servant… then why don't you sell her to me?"

**To be Continued…**


	10. Desire

**Author's Notes: **I am very sorry for the long absence. University was a bit demanding this semester and I went to some personal tragedies. I would like to dedicate this story to my two Grandparents who died just recently (**Felipe Guajardo** and **Isauro Gonzalez**). ~_Enjoy_ the grand finale!

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"_Let the world stop turning; let the sun stop burning; let them tell me love's not worth going through. If all falls apart; I will know deep down in my heart, the only dream that mattered has come true… in this life, I was loved by you."_

_-Bette Midler-_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix (Giselle González)

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**Final Chapter: "Desire"**

* * *

**Onime no** **Kyo** no longer knew what to think or how to feel. Hatred, sadness, happiness, excitement, independence, freedom, bloodlust, confidence and fright mixed and split and intertwined with memories of Yuya.

What was he to do? What was _she_ to him? Why had Kenji walked into their lives and messed them up in such a way that he felt completely lost for the very first time? More importantly, why did he want to say 'how much would you give me for her' and couldn't?

"Wouldn't it be easier for you, Onime no Kyo, to give her away… to drive her as far away from you as possible as to remain heartless?" Kenji tempted.

Kyo's hand gripped the hilt of his blade so tight, that his knuckles turned white. Damn it! It made sense, it did! But fuck it! He didn't want to hear this right now, especially from this man! A man whose very existence was an insult to Kyo!

Despite how irritating he was, Kenji's words rang true. There was no denying that. Did he want to get rid of her because she made him weak -because she made him _feel_? Was that it? Was that answer to the enigma that had become his life recently? Was this knowledge the key to his release… the salvation of the beast that was the men slayer?

No! He refused to have his life figured out by this pest! What did this man know? Kyo's life was his own! Nobody told him what to do!

He turned to Kenji and smiled sadistically. "I'll keep her because now I know you want her."

Oh, if only he himself could believe the lie! Because that was all it was, a half-baked lie.

"Really…? Is that the only reason?" Kenji pursued with that ever present smile. Only, now that Kyo looked at him more closely, did he noticed the smile never reached his eyes.

Before he could think of a way to use this new information to his advantage, a ninja materialized out of nowhere holding a sharp chisa-katana (1). The figure moved with unbelievable speed, hostility evident. Kyo's eyes widened when he realized that he wasn't charging him but the un-moving Yuya!

Kyo barely managed to intercept the attack. Steel clashed against steel, but the warrior did not budge. Kyo smiled, wishing to scare the man off, but he seem neither impressed nor scared.

Kenji's eyes turned to look at a nearby tree. He blinked with deliberate slowness, causing another ninja to appear armed and ready to charge.

The warrior Kyo was still engaged with used his free hand to hold onto muramasa's sheath. Only then did the second warrior launch his attack. Kyo cursed, realizing that there was nothing he could use to parry the attack that was coming.

Damn them! Who did they think he was? Kyo was nothing if not extraordinary!

So just before the blade could cut even a hair of Yuya's head, Kyo let go of the sheath and used his naked hand to protect her. Blood poured out of his palm in thick beads. It ached like a bitch, but still he persisted in holding onto the blade.

Kyo laughed when he noticed stupefaction cross the man's eyes. They hadn't expected this, did they? Kyo was protective of what was his, and it was about time they learned that. Kyo would do anything and everything to keep further harm from befalling Yuya! Getting hurt in the process meant nothing to him. Not anymore…

"Enough!" exclaimed Kenji, prompting the ninjas to retreat.

Kyo's instincts were sharp and he began to sense more presences gathering around them. They weren't hostile, not yet, but Kyo knew that could change at any second. They were skillful, probably more ninjas waiting in hiding for their master to give them the signal to attack. Yet, what worried him the most was the fact that he was not their target.

"Do you understand it now, Kyo?" Kenji approached him unafraid of retaliation.

Kyo forced his body to relax. He wanted to give the impression that he was confident and even bored. Yet, not once did he lower his defense. He wouldn't dare put Yuya's health at risk in order to save his pride.

"Understand what?" he prompted nonchalantly.

"How she has _crippled_ you," Kenji answered.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** was standing in the middle of a black place surrounded by multiple caged figures. Her eyes were incapable of focusing on anything as the conversation between Kenji and Kyo resonated throughout the place. It was not until the last of Kenji's phrases ripped the barrier that separated her from them, that she heard a crack coming out from an already fracture box.

Intrigued, Yuya walked towards her other self. She stood right in front the cage, her eyes gazing at the blushed cheeks of the woman behind the glass. She inspected the crack closely, finding it longer, with more veins that before. She placed her ear to the glass and sure enough, she could hear the drumming of the caged woman's racing heart.

_What does this mean? _

Suddenly, there was another crack. Yuya turned to the genesis of the sound. Her eyes came to rest on the box trapping her feelings of worry over Kyo. She noticed that the figure inside was punching the glass, trying to free herself, indifferent about the blood coming out from her torn knuckles.

Yuya gave a step towards her. She wanted to help her but something held her back. She looked down at the previously empty space beside her to find the blond child. He was holding her hand, small fingers squeezing, demanding her undivided attention.

"Don't!" the boy pleaded. "You are happier here!"

She knelt before him, gazing at his deep, blue eyes. She didn't know what to say to him. She opened her mouth but nothing came back. What filled the silence were the faint voices coming from the creviced boxes. It was her voice, which even coming in whispers were louder than whatever she could say to this little one.

"Leave him," the child begged, tears forming in his eyes. "Please, I want you to meet me one day. Please… don't _leave_ me."

**-o0o-**

**Onime no Kyo** fisted his wounded hand, trying to stifle the flow of his blood. It still tickled between his fingers, dropping onto the floor in constant beads.

"Look at you, Onime no Kyo," Kenji pointed at his wound in emphasis. "Look at how weak she's made you." When Kyo stared at him blankly, he chuckled softly. "Have you felt them?"

Kyo's eyes jumped from one spot to the next, demonstrating his ninjas could not conceal their presence from him.

"I know as well as you that if it was not for the girl you would have already killed them all," Kenji admitted, a queer sadness keeping his smile from reaching his eyes.

"Who says I can't do it right now?" Kyo scoffed, forcing the pain of his wound the back of his mind.

"You do," Kenji argued with half a shrug. "You know that if you were to attack one of my ninjas the other ones will attack your only weakness."

"I have no weaknesses," Kyo hissed, almost believing it himself.

"Oh, but you do! If I were to send them to attack the girl again you would do everything in your power to stop them, would you not?"

"I have no weaknesses," Kyo insisted through clenched teeth.

"Then prove me wrong!" Kenji challenged, causing a dozen of his ninjas to jump out of their hiding places.

**-o0o-**

**Shinna Yuya** gasped when she heard Kenji's challenging words. They resonated inside her cage of darkness, drowning all other sounds. Her eyes widened in fear and she let go of the boy's hand as though the touch burned her.

Oh, God! She could see it! The ninjas were closing in on them -closing in on _him_! What was she thinking? How could she do this to him? Why had things turned out so bad! She'd vowed never to be a burden, to never endanger him! Yet, she'd pushed him into an impossible situation and it was up to her to get him out!

She shut her eyes, tears squeezing out and rolling down blushed cheeks. All around her the boxes exploded, glass shattering around her like crystal rain. She heard the pieces tingling like bells as they fell, the sound echoing through time and space.

It was time to wake up. It was time to break free. It was time to be brave!

When she opened her eyes, she was standing behind Kyo, fully aware of who she was and what she needed to do.

"STOP!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, "PLEASE STOP!"

All movement ceased. The ninjas stopped dead on their tracks with swords still raised. She saw Kyo's widened gaze falling on her and, past him, Kenji's.

"You…" she could tell Kyo wanted to say something else, but he seemed for the very first time tongue tied. In any other circumstance she would have given him a hard time about it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it now. There was something she needed to do which required all her concentration… and her courage.

Yuya's eyes welled with tears. She tried to keep them caged, but they flowed down her face anyways. She attempted to swallow a sob, but the cruelness of her fate ripped it out of her very throat.

"You have everything," she told him, gripping the fabric of her Yukata as if to keep her heart from jumping out and surrendering itself to him. She had to do it, though. She had to stop being selfish… she had to set him free!

**Onime no Kyo** didn't like where this was going. He didn't like those tears running down her face. He didn't like the sobs that wrecked her body, leaving her trembling like a leaf. He was tempted to make her stop because he knew! God, he knew that whatever she was about to say would hurt him.

But he didn't. He couldn't stop her. He pride was too stubborn, his tongue too numb, his mind too hazy, his body too heavy to move!

"Y-you have everything you desired," she pointed out, her tone desperate.

_Don't do this! _Kyo tried to scream, but nothing came out of his throat. In fact, his lips didn't even move. Damn his pride, which rendered him silent! Unable to ask her to stop, he wished she would beg him stay… so that _he_ would not be the one forced to ask this of her.

"You recovered your body," her hands kept brushing tears away, only for them to be replaced by new ones, "and you killed Kyoshiro." Her emerald gaze was filled with such sadness that it made him want to close his eyes. He didn't want to see this! He didn't want to hear this! "So why do you keep me with you? What am I to you?"

**Shinna Yuya **held her breath in anticipation.

This was it. She had finally asked him. Her heart was beating a mile per second with fear and excitement. His answer could break her in such a way that she may be scarred more terribly than the night her brother was murdered, yet she had to know. She wanted to know!

The pause stretched and she wondered if he would ever answer. She searched his eyes for the words he dared not speak. She found nothing there. His eyes were unreadable and they shattered all of her remaining hopes.

She couldn't! She just couldn't stay anymore and wait for him to feel something for her. Her heart was tired. Deep inside, she just wanted to be loved. Did she not deserve to be treasured? Did he not deserve to be free of burdens, even if that burden was herself?

Yuya understood in that moment what all her dreams meant. What she had seen and lived within her mind was a probable future. A future she could have if she were to let Kyo go. She would live in a wooden house atop a hill. A beautiful Sakura tree would bloom just outside their home. Every afternoon, when the weather was good, she would sit at the foot of the tree and she would set her gaze on the horizon. The grass underneath her feet would feel warm and soft. Some days, she would lie there and watch the sunset, reminiscing about her time with Kyo.

And just when she would want to cry for the future that could have been, a boy would run out of the house. He would giggle and call to her, throwing his little arms around her neck. He would shower her with loving kisses, drying her tears and quelling her pains. Thus, that toddler would be her hope… that child would be her legacy. He would be her bond to Kenji and the wind to blow away the ashes of her memories with Kyo.

Yes… It was time to stop being selfish. It was time to set him free. It was time to move forward. It was time to let go…

**Onime no Kyo** watched Yuya's eyes harden. She nodded in his direction, as if in acceptance of whatever she saw in his face. She forced a small smile to part her lips. Then, without a word, she began to walk. For a moment, he thought she would throw her arms around him, but she didn't. She continued onwards, passing him by. His eyes followed her movements, his body spinning around until he was watching her retreating back. In front of her stood Kenji now. Kyo imagined her eyes looking straight into his just like she had done on a not so far away morning.

Would she truly leave him once and for all? Would he be the one watching her back as she walked away? Would he let her go? _Could_ he let her go?

Kyo watched in horror as Yuya shortened the distance between her and an awaiting, smiling Kenji. She was leaving him! Each step she took brought her closer to Kenji and further away from him!

A step and an image popped into his head, vivid in its detail.

"_Stupid Jerk!" he heard and saw the girl with her fists clenched and a look of distaste marking her futures. _

Another step.

"_Kyo… be careful," he saw the girl's worried look as her hands unconsciously gripped the fabric of her kimono._

"_Help…me," he watched her murmur as she stood a blink away from death._

Another step followed by a faint sob.

"_Shut up, Benitora!" he watched the girl knocking Benitora to the floor with one swift punch to the shoulder._

"_I will also go! You can't stop me," he saw the girl's determined look as she took out her weapon._

Another step.

"_Onime no Kyo," he noticed her cheeks blushed furiously as he groped her body with lustful hands. _

Another step.

_And he remembered the feeling of his lips on hers. The maddening sensation of getting lost in her warmth…_

Another step and it was just too much. This could not happen. She could not leave him! He would not – _could_ not let her leave! Because… Kyo released his sword and sprang into action.

**Shinna** **Yuya** heard some shuffling behind her and almost lost a step. She was about to chance a glance back, when she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around her shoulders. She froze, unsure as to what had happening, afraid that she would misinterpret his sudden actions.

Yet, the arms pushed her back, so that she was leaning against a warm, hard chest. She closed her eyes at the sensation of his hot breath ghosting across the back of her neck, making her hair stand on end. She was melting… and she couldn't care less about the consequences.

"Ask me again," he commanded in a whisper, his lips brushing against her oversensitive ear.

_What? What did he want her to ask him?_ Her mind tried to adapt to the changes. Everything seemed foggy. He repeated his command and it became clear. Her eyes softened and she forced her sobs down as she enquired again, one of her hands touching his arm lightly.

"What am I to you, Kyo?"

"You are my third desire," he admitted softly, honestly, tenderly.

**Onime no Kyo** felt Yuya's small, shaking hands closing around each of his wrists. His eyes widened in confusion and fright when he felt her pulling free from his grasp. Was this it? Was he too late?

Yuya didn't move away, though. Instead, she seized the front of his Kimono and, without hesitation, she pulled him to her. Kyo relinquished control, allowing her to do with him as she pleased. He locked his eyes with her until their faces were but a fingernail apart. Only when her eyelids closed and her lips touched his, did he closed his eyes as well.

Kyo tried to keep his instincts in check. He didn't want to scare her off, but her touch was maddening and before he could stop it, his senses had gone crazy on him. His enemies were completely forgotten in the wake of her hunger and his.

His arm slid around her waist and he pushed her flush to him, deepening the kiss. It was incredible! He loved the sensation of her mouth on his. He loved how her warmth seemed to envelop him in a level of intimacy that he had never felt before. She was made to fit his arms perfectly. That was her place! She was his home.

When they parted for breath, Kyo realized they'd been left alone. He hadn't even felt Kenji's and his ninjas' presences disappearing, or hear them walk away for that matter.

"He's gone," Yuya said between happiness and relief.

"A pity," Kyo shrugged, scanning the area a second time for good measure. "I was looking forward to slitting his throat."

"Maybe another time," cut in the cheerful voice of Yukimura as he came into view followed closely by Sasuke, Akira and Benitora; a devious smile plastered on all their faces.

"So that means Yuya-han will never love me?" Benitora whined. His was the one smile that looked strained.

Kyo glared at the man. "Don't you dare try to touch my woman," he threatened and, as if to emphasize his point, he took Yuya's hand and pulled her along as he set off to look for a less crowded place.

"Where are we going now?" asked Benitora, trying to catch up.

"Get lost," Kyo warned, deciding that the only one he needed in his life was walking right beside him.

******.:..FIN..:.**

**Story Written by: Giselle González**

© Samurai Deeper Kyo is property of Akimine Kamijyo; is directed by Junji Nishimura and is distributed by Studio Deen.

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**Story's notes:**

(1) Chisa-Katana: _Shorter Katana; the normal is, more or less, 61 cm long while the Chisa-Katana is a bit longer than the wakizachi (30-61 cm long). Reference: Wikipedia- Katana- Classification by length._

* * *

:…:Other **Samurai Deeper Kyo** Stories:…:

* * *

+-+**Serpent's Curse**+-+

"I will strike were it will hurt the most and you will not see it coming." There is no stronger pain than the one inflicted to the heart. KyoxYuya. Sequel to "Third Desire".

+-+**Teaching the Art**+-+

When Yuya asks Kyo to teach her his specialty will he, in turn, learn hers? YuyaxKyo . One-shot.

+-+**Weeping Sky**+-+

Sometimes comfort can come in the strangest of ways given by the most unusual person. When Yuya cries, Kyo realizes he doesn't really like it. ::Yuya x Kyo:: One-shot.


	11. Wounded Heart

**Special Chapter: **The story of Kenji has been added as a bonus.

**Author's Notes: **First off, let me begin by _apologizing_ for taking so long to write the special chapter so many asked for. I had a lot of things going on and it was, until now, I found the time, and most importantly, the inspiration to write this.

Also, I am thrilled and surprised to have found so many people who like this story. To all those who reviewed and faved this story, I thank you deeply and hope this chapter answers some of your questions.

That said, enjoy the special chapter!

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"_I did not ask for the life that I was given, but it was given nonetheless. And with it I did my best."_

-_Mr. Eko (Lost)-_

"**Third Desire"**

By: FenixPhoenix

* * *

**Special Chapter: "Wounded Heart"**

* * *

It was early when **Sakaki Kenji** arrived at the small cemetery; his hair whipping behind him as the wind hollered in echo of his misery. He skimmed the names carved upon the tombs he passed by. He wasn't here anymore. His mind was wandering through a time that had come to pass too quickly.

Finally, he reached the place he had been looking for. A bitter smile, so strange in his face, graced his features as he placed a single, white lotus flower atop the stone that bore 'her' name.

"It has been a while, Masaki," he whispered, afraid that if he were to voice her name louder, his heart would shimmer as it had done the first time he had visited her resting place.

He sighed and opened the bottle of sake he had brought along. Kneeling before her, he filled the cup embedded on the stone before taking a gulp of liquid from the bottle.

"I miss you," he admitted, his voice shaking.

Kenji would have stayed a while longer, had a presence not disrupted his solitude. He stood up, slowly and calmly, with an expression void of emotions as his eyes came to rest upon a tree that stood ten paces away from him.

"May I help you… Yukimura-San," he said, a smile spreading across his face as the mention man stepped out from behind the ancient tree.

"My, my, Kenji-San," Yukimura greeted merrily, "You are as good as Kyo."

Kenji tilted his head, accepting the compliment before asking with a light hearted tone, "But tell me, to what do I owe the honor of your visit this time? Did Kyo send you to find me, perhaps?"

Yukimura shook his head, "The last time I saw Kyo he was heading out town with Yuya-San," he explained playfully; his eyes studying Kenji's face for a reaction that never came, "However, I am still intrigued with you."

"With me? And why would that be?" Kenji said as he began to walk away with Yukimura by his side.

"Well, yes. You see, you are as strong as Kyo and yet you did not fight him. You really wanted Yuya-San and yet you were quick to let her go. And now, as I have come with the hope of finding out what your true intentions were, I see you sharing a cup of sake with the spirit of a woman."

Kenji's eyes filled with a sadness he could not contain. His defensive mechanism, though, prompted an enigmatic smile.

"It is… a long story," he said with a sigh.

"I have time," Yukimura said with a smile of his own.

Kenji thought about his words for a while as they continued their journey in silence. By the time they'd reached his house, he'd taken a decision. His only hope was that he would not regret it later.

Kenji would tell him. He would tell Yukimura about what had happened to him, for perhaps this was the path that would eventually guide him towards redemption. Atonement was, after all, what he had been looking for when he met Yuya. And it had been that, what had prompted him to help Kyo…

"Come on in," he said as he opened the door, leaving his sandals on the doorway and indicating his visitor to do the same.

Kenji led the way towards a room that had a small table and five cushions around them. He placed the bottle of sake on the wooden surface of the expensive furniture and immediately after, taking two cups from a cupboard that stood on one corner, he filled them and offered one to Yukimura.

Kenji closed his eyes trying to order his tumultuous thoughts for this would be the first time he would share the events of his past. For maybe, just maybe by doing so he would make amends with his actions and finally be able to move forward into the future…

"I was once like Kyo," he began as Yukimura leaned forward, taking in every one of his words. "Selfish, blind, arrogant and filled with horrifying blood lust…"

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** wiped the blood of off his blade.

"What of the rest of the Koga Clan?" he asked.

At his feet lay five bodies amidst mud, blood and missing limbs. Yet, though the image would have horrified even the devil himself, Kenji stood at ease among the dead. He inspected his body, satisfied to find none of the blood coating him was his. In fact, he barely had a scratch.

It was natural to be intact. After all, he wasn't called the God of death for nothing. He was war personified, and he would have it no other way.

"They're all dead, Sakaki-Sama," a black clothed ninja with the most striking amber eyes answered as she knelt before him; her attire dirty and bloodied. She, among all of his men, seemed to be the one least shocked by the image. She was also the only one unafraid to approach him right after a fight.

Kenji smirked in triumph. Another Clan had been annihilated and he was quickly becoming unstoppable. All those who dared declare themselves the strongest where now dead. No one was stronger than him and anyone who disagreed would be hunted down like the dogs they were. Life was truly beautiful!

"Gather the warriors, Masaki," he ordered with a smile. He could already taste the feast of victory to come! He noticed how she flinched when she regained her feet. She was either exhausted or she'd been badly hurt. Kenji shook his head and shrugged the concern off. What did he care anyways? He was only interested in keeping the strong with him. If she couldn't keep up, then she would have to stay out of his way.

"It shall be done," she said, marching through the battlefield like a conqueror. Kenji smiled. That was more like it. His eyes followed her as she shepherded the warriors who were standing idle, dispatching them to see his orders followed.

When they were all finally together, they sat on the table where, seconds ago, their enemies had been waiting for dinner. A man down the table broke into a lively song. Kenji cheered alongside his men, ordering sake to be replenished whenever it was about to run out.

Chaos soon began to reign over order and, though it was Kenji who had won the battle, he was the only one who did not drown his mind in Sake or filled his stomach with food. It was not his style. The only thing that would satisfy him was blood, everything else seemed petty and inconsequential.

That did not mean, however, that he would force his men to do the same. Kenji liked allowing them to have their fun. It made them more loyal, in a funny way. Every time they drank to him, Kenji made it a point to thank them with a smile and a nod of the head. It seemed to do the trick and keep them happy.

Kenji had been relieving some portions of the battle when Masaki Inoue called him.

"Sakaki-Sama," he turned his complete attention on her. She was his best warrior and, as such, the most valuable in his eyes. If he desired it, Maskai would kill every man who was at the moment cheering him as the greatest warrior and she would do it without any regard for her own life.

She was loyal but most importantly, she possessed skills which had been extremely useful during past times. She was his spy and his assassin. She was his ninja and his bodyguard. She was his shield and his sword… And she was his. His own. His property…

"What's _this_, Masaki?" he leaned forward intrigued when he noticed the youth Masaki was holding by the elbow.

The boy was around sixteen years old; a lad too skinny in his eyes to be a warrior, or of any use at all. Or at least, that was what he'd thought before he'd examined him closely. Though his body told a tale of weakness and inexperience, his eyes were those of a furious, untamed beast.

He smiled at the impertinence of the boy, who instead of begging for mercy, looked him in the eye with intact pride.

"I found him on Koga's room," she explained, cursing when the boy's sudden jerk rattled a wound she hadn't had the moment to tend.

Kenji tilted his head and asked flippantly, "Masaki, did this boy managed to hurt you?"

Masaki's eyes turned, for a second, to stone. "He attacked out of nowhere," she admitted reluctantly, "I have no excuse. I let my guard down before finishing my inspection of the room."

Kenji was satisfied with her answer. He would take honesty over momentary weakness. He switched his attention to the feisty boy. What to do with him? Should he give him to his men for them to have some fun with him? Or should he finish what he started and end with his life the line of the Kogas?

"A man who managed to hurt my strongest warrior deserves to grow old and strong," Kenji decided; locking gazes with the brooding boy. "So I will let you go, kid… and I will wait until you are strong and then… then I will come for you with all my fury and I will make you suffer for having had a second chance."

Something in the boy's dark gaze screamed defiance. Kenji could not have that. So he took the knife he'd been using to cut his meat and, with a quick movement, slashed the boy from below his right eye down to the middle of his cheek. Blood poured out the wound, covering his face. The boy stayed silent, even when his eyes flared with indignant anger.

"That is for you to remember," Kenji said, his voice loud for all his men to hear, "and for me to recognize you when the time comes… Now, go," Masaki disengaged her fingers from the boy's arm, "before I change my mind."

And the boy did. Kenji smiled when the boy didn't break into a run. Instead, he walked with his head held high, displaying the undimmed arrogance of being the last of the Koga Clan.

**-o0o-**

Yukimura raised his eyebrows in open surprised. Kenji smiled sadly. Yes, he'd once been cruel, crueler than even Kyo himself.

"What happened to the boy?" Yukimura asked after a while, snapping Kenji from his silent reverie.

Kenji smiled, "He grew…"

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki Kenji** grinned sadistically at the warrior before him. It was the boy! He'd grown tall and his limbs had acquired muscles which gave him a lean, yet nevertheless, impressive look. The youth would have been strikingly handsome, if not for the scar that disfigured his features.

If there was something Kenji could not forget, even after all this time, was the look in his eyes. Those eyes glared at him in different colors… the right one as dark as night and the left one the color of rusty blood.

"What a surprise," Kenji stated in all honesty, "I would have never thought you would come to me, Koga boy."

The boy's lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes turned cold.

"My name is Koga, Takeshi," he announced, "and I have come to extract my revenge."

Kenji tilted his head, surveying him. He took in every detail of the man, from the brown mat of hair atop his head to the black boots on his feet, "Really? I cannot wait," he unsheathed one of his katanas gracefully and presented the tip to his opponent.

Just as he had done this, Masaki and five more ninjas had made their presence known by stepping out of the shadows, intent on killing the boy if he gave them leave.

Takeshi smiled awkwardly, as if this was the first time he did it, "I will hurt you like no other can," he stated with a confidence which further sparked Kenji's curiosity and excitement.

"The kitten has grown a bold lion, has he?" Kenji taunted jeeringly. "So tell me, how is it that you plan to hurt me? For, mark my words, you will not be able to land a single blow on me."

Kenji's words earned from the boy a grin that widened so much, it distorted his features

"Oh, but I will land a blow," he said; his every word draped with excitement, "and it will be such a blow that you will be left shivering in pain and horror… For I will attack a place you have not guarded… a place you expose so easily and yet you do not defend at all."

Kenji laughed, "Is that a threat?"

Koga shook his head, "No, that is a fact."

"Then if you are so confident in this… why don't you do it? Why don't you attack the invincible Kenji and see if your words are true and your plan possible!"

"It will be my pleasure," Takeshi hissed, his eyes widening with anticipation as he charged him.

Yet, Takashi had only given three steps his way, before he briskly changed direction. He propelled himself forward, choosing a different target. A target that was not ready for what came… A target Kenji had not foreseen…

Masaki had been kneeling on the floor, still waiting for an order to engage. By the time she realized what was coming, it was too late. She managed to pull one of her katanas free, but Takeshi was already on top of her.

Kenji must have screamed something because his throat was aching. Masaki's eyes widened in horrified shock as Takeshi pulled her forward, into his arms. Kenji saw it as if in slow motion. Masaki's fingers slackened, her sword slipping her grasp, falling upon the floor.

Takeshi was holding her, still grabbing the hilt of his dark bladed knife. He'd plunged the entire length into the middle of her back. Masaki's legs turned to jelly, a grunt coming out of her partly opened mouth. Kenji saw the serpent tattoo on Koga's arm rearranging itself, as if it had come to life for a second, before being frozen again.

Kenji's instincts kicked in. He freed his blade and moved towards the fucking boy. Takeshi jumped back in time to avoid his blade and smiled in triumph before, throwing a smoke bomb at his feet, he disappeared.

"FIND HIM!" Kenji ordered, for the first time feeling his anger overwhelming his normally calm demeanor.

Then, remembering the cause of his rage, he turned to Masaki and went to her. He knelt beside her; his blue eyes filled with the most profound worry… a worry he had never felt nor shown towards anyone before.

"I am alright," she assured, touching her back in search of the knife that had been lodged there not a moment past.

"What are you talking about? You are bleeding profoundly," he argued, sweeping her off her feet and taking her inside the house whilst yelling for a physician to follow.

He lowered her onto his own futon gently and, turning her around, he cut the back of her blouse with his sword, careful not to harm her further. The physician came in immediately after. He knelt before the girl, his bag open with every tool at his disposal.

"Let us wipe the blood first," he said, taking the towel from a basin that had been brought in and squeezing it dry.

"I'll do it," Kenji said, taking the towel from the man. He didn't want anyone else touching her more than was strictly necessary. It was absurd of him to feel this way now, but there it was. She was him, and he felt unmistakable jealousy at the thought of her body being handled by someone else.

"I am okay, Sakaki-Sama," she insisted, trying to get up.

Kenji pushed her back down and kept her in place with a firm but nevertheless gentle hand. Once he was certain she would not move, he continued wiping the blood off of her back with careful movements. Suddenly, before his very eyes, his strongest warrior had become a fragile crystal.

"What the-," Kenji frowned when he finished wiping her back. There was no wound on her back anymore, which was impossible considering all the blood. Not to mention he'd seen it, he'd seen the knife plunging into her.

So, what was the meaning of this? And if it had not been hers, whose blood was that which he'd just washed?

**-o0o-**

"You are telling me he did not wound her?" Yukimura asked, surprised by the twist.

Kenji shook his head sorrowfully, "He did… but I simply did not see it…"

**-o0o-**

**Sakaki** **Kenji's** relief at Masaki's safety lasted only for a day. After which, he isolated himself in his room, ordering that no one was to disturb him. Kenji sat on his futon, pondering his feelings.

What to do now with the girl? She was his best assassin, his best tool… but when had that changed?

It irked him to realize that Masaki's presence had changed him! He had unknowingly given her the power to crush him! Hadn't he been careful about this? Had he not closed himself to all so that he may remain forever alone, selfish and powerful?

So then, what was he expected to do? His heart was set on her and, because of that, he could not send her away. At the same time, he could not use her anymore! The single thought of losing her sent a wave of pain through his entire being, leaving him shaking with fear! So, he could not have her around! He could not afford to love her anymore for that would certainly mean the destruction of all his work!

After hours of wracking his brain for a solution, everything boiled down to this: He could not send her away but he wished not to have her stay. He could not live without her so he 'must' never live with her…

Enlightenment came to him. He would hold her inside the house, never to leave it without his permission while he looked for the man who knew of his only weakness. By killing Koga, this knowledge would stay hidden in his heart, never to be spoken of again.

So Kenji did it so. He gathered all his warriors and sent them in different directions to look for Koga's trace. He had made it clear he did not wish for anyone to engage him.

"He's my prey," he'd told them, threatening them with a painful death if they forgot it.

While Kenji waited, he was careful to keep himself apart from Masaki. By confining himself to his room, he hoped his feelings would eventually lessen and then maybe even disappear. He needed to be who he used to be. He wanted to be the man without weakness… the warrior without a heart. Yet, his feelings did not go away. To the contrary, they grew and grew, becoming a burden that was harder to bear with each passing day.

Almost four weeks later, he could take it no more. Half of his men had returned without news of Koga's whereabouts and had, immediately, departed to search other places. Kenji's spirits were down on the floor when he finally made his way to Masaki's quarters.

This was the third time he had gotten as far as to stand behind her door, fighting the urge to knock or kick the door down. This time, however, he did not even try to contain his feelings.

One of his servants had reported to him yesterday, informing her about her status. He'd admitted that two weeks ago Masaki had seemed 'lost' and that more than once she had stared into nothingness, as though she had fallen asleep. By the middle of that week, she had begun to black out for five minutes every day and whenever she woke up, she would have forgotten one thing or another of her past.

But a week ago she had begun to get fevers at night and she would shake with cold and pain for almost an hour before she became quite still. Then, she would sleep soundlessly for the rest of the night. This, above all else, had at last worried him enough as to allow his fear to overcome his plans.

Kenji neither knocked nor tore down the door, though. He opened it slowly and stepped inside. Masaki's eyes widened when she saw him. She was wearing a with night robe that was so thin he was able to see the curves of her body underneath it.

"Sakaki-Sama," she tried to stand, but gave up after a while. She was too weak to try to hide her discomfort.

Kenji felt a lump in his throat. She was slimmer, paler and had two black half-moons under her eyes. The happiness in her seemed to have fled and what sat before him was but a ghost of the girl he used to love. Yet, when her eyes locked with his again, he saw the flash of adoration and the sparkle of the girl that still wished to impress him. No, she was still her. The girl –no, the _woman_ his mind could not release.

He closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly, feeling his eyes hot with tears that he dared not shed.

"What is the matter, Sakaki-Sama?" she asked, confused and worried at the same time.

"Why do you get worst instead of better, Masaki?" he asked with a shaking tone. And it was until then, when his eyes moved to her back, that he saw the black spot underneath her tunic.

Frowning, he took his knife out and cut across part of her gown. He pried the fabric open and stared in horror at the image below. A black tattoo had appeared on Masaki's back. It depicted a serpent going around a blade that was awfully familiar to his own. The serpent's body had, by now, twisted three times around the blade and the only thing missing was its head.

"I just noticed it a week ago," she said as she pushed him away from her so that she would be able to look him in the eye, "a twist for every week…"

"Why didn't you tell me!"

Masaki smiled sadly, "How could I?"

Kenji cursed loudly. Oh, God! It was his fault! He had given orders not to allow Masaki near his person. He wanted to spin the wheels of time, to go back and punch himself on the face. He regretted his choices for the first time in his life.

"There is still time," he said, standing up with determination.

He had never seen the mark before but he'd heard rumors about it. It was the curse of the black serpent and the only way to break it was to kill the man who'd made it. And that man was Takeshi Koga…

"It is too late," she said, destroying, with her words, his plans, "Tomorrow this week ends and I… I will be-"

"Don't say it!" he interrupted her angrily but, as hard as it was, he knew, deep down, that she was right. He was late… and she would die…

His hand shot towards his eyes and he fell to his knees. He'd been called a monster, a beast… yet in the end he was a man; a man whose heart was breaking and aching and hurting.

So his fear had at last come true. The thing that no one would have thought possible had been achieved. The beast had been tamed, the monster slain and the man… the man had been conquered!

"You cannot leave me," he wanted to order, but it came out as a plea. "You are never supposed to leave me!"

He felt her hands wrap around him; her lips kissing his forehead, "I have always been yours, Kenji," it was the first time she called him by his name and yet it felt right, "but you have never claimed me…"

He turned to her; his cold blue eyes melting under the fire in hers.

"Claim me now," she said, "claim me now, for I can still feel."

So he did. He pulled her towards him and kissed her with a desperate passion that, for that moment, stripped away all feelings but that one of unparallel love. He tore the clothes off her back and explored every part of her body with his lips, feeling his lust increase as she helped him take off his clothes.

He took in every detail of her body; ever smiled she gave he photographed with his mind and every giggled, every breath he locked in his heart. It was the most incredible experience. Kenji had had sex before but he had never made love and the difference was astonishing. He kissed her again and again and let her hands wander through his body and smiled whenever a mischievous grin parted her lips.

But the experience was over far too quickly. As he lay with her on his arms he felt her body tense. Then she began to shake and her lips turned blue and cold. He felt his eyes water as he held her close, whispering soothing words into her ear. When the episode had passed and the shaking subsided, he felt her tears upon his chest as daggers to his heart.

"Promise me something, Kenji," she whispered softly.

"Anything," he whispered; tears running freely down his cheeks. Her end was near and he was so damn scared… so damn impotent…

"Promise me you will not let this happen to anyone else," she said, "Promise me that if you ever find a couple like us, you will help them see how much they need each other before it is too late. Promise me that you will become a peaceful warrior; fighting only to protect… and in return," a sob overcame her, "in return I will keep you safe from above…"

Kenji hugged her tightly, "I promise…"

"Then, let me give you my last gift," she kissed him on the lips and he felt something there. A power he could not quite understand, "use it well… and find happiness… my love…"

"I love you, Masaki…" he whispered biting his lower lip when her last tear was shed.

He closed his eyes when he felt her back moistening. Inspecting it, he noticed the face of the serpent had appeared; wine eyes looking right at him while tears of blood… her blood ran down the ruby eyes…

Five minutes later, her blood was drained and her life had come to an end.

That day, Kenji buried Masaki beside his own family, keeping the space beside her empty, reserving it for the day he would join her in the afterlife. After that, when he'd returned home and had stepped inside his room, did he noticed someone was there. The last of the Kogas was seating on his windowsill, a curious look upon his face.

Kenji had not the energy to unsheathe his sword. He was tired… and in pain.

"She died because of you," Koga said, "I did not wish to kill her but it had to be done."

Kenji stared stoically at the boy, waiting for him to state the real reason for his visit.

"Are you going to kill yourself, Sakaki?" he asked with honest curiosity.

Kenji shook his head.

"Why not?"

Kenji smiled, "Because it was my life she loved… and because she gave me a mission I cannot turn down."

Koga seemed to ponder his words for a while, as if trying to understand them. After a while he gave up and standing up, he said, "Good. Every day you live you will suffer your loss and every day you suffer my family will rejoice in the afterlife."

"Then let it be so," Kenji whispered, watching the boy who had taken everything from him walk away unchallenged, until he disappeared from view.

**-o0o-**

**Sanada Yukimura**'s eyes lowered to the cup in his hand. He understood it all now…the man, his promise, his sins and his deeds.

"So you never wanted Yuya-San," he concluded.

Kenji shook his head. "Oh, but I did," he admitted softly, "She was my second chance… my redemption," he closed his eyes for a while. "She would have given me happiness if she had stayed with me."

"But still you let her go!"

"Because she realized who she wanted," he answered, "she broke Masaki's spell… she passed her test."

"What test?"

"Staying with Kyo and choosing the uncertainty of life over secure happiness," Kenji stood up. "I am tired, Yukimura-San," he stated, "You can stay if you wish. I will put my servants at your disposal, but I'm afraid I'll have to leave you for the evening."

"I understand." Yukimura watched the man leave and whispered, "Good night, Kenji-Sama…"

**.:..FIN..:.**

**Story Written by: Giselle González**

© Kenji Sakaki, Masaki Inoue and Takeshi Koga are property of Giselle González and were created for the purpose of telling this story.

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**Author's Notes: **Anyhow, don't forget to **review**! Also, a sequel to Third Desire is now available. Check it out in my Profile Page under the name of **"Serpent's Curse"**.


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